Dating An Urban Legend
by Thomas Mc
Summary: The intensely private Danielle chides her friend for believing in the urban legend of the 'Creature of Central Park'. Then she becomes involved with Alexander's brother Jonathon and life will never be the same. Sequel to 'Alexander'.
1. Urban Legend

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

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_****__Authors Note__ : This is a 'New Millennium' story and is a sequel to Alexander. It centers around the relationship between Danielle and Jonathon._

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**Chapter1 : Urban Legend**

**_January 2067_**

Shania Clemmons shook her head in exasperation. "Dee Dee, you are so . . . so . . ."

"Rational?" Danielle Duke threw out helpfully.

". . . closed minded." Shania huffed in exasperation over this latest round of their continuing debate. "How can you be so totally positive that it **isn't** real?" She questioned her stubborn friend

"Oh, Nia, be reasonable. The whole idea is so preposterous. A creature that is half lion and half man? That kind of thing went out with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Next thing you'll be trying to convince me that centaurs are real, too." Danielle gazed back at her friend shaking her head.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean?" Pamela Ramsey looked over at Danielle feigning extreme surprise. "**Everyone** knows that centaurs are real." She stated with mock severity. "Why my second cousin's mother's brother's best friend actually talked to a few of them in the forests of Connecticut last summer."

Danielle reacted by throwing the pillow she had been laying on at Pamela. "Pam, you're hopeless." All three girls broke out in giggles. Pamela threw the pillow back at Danielle, who caught it and placed it back under herself. Danielle sometimes worried about this Central Park Creature fixation of Shania's. It had all started right after her parent's divorce three years ago. Danielle suspected that maybe it was her need to believe in the impossible.

"I don't care what you say; lots of people have seen it. What about all those college kids that saw it near Belvedere Castle back in the early 40's? And Tracy Porter swears she saw it last spring over by the Central Park Carousel, close to the same place it was supposed to have been seen by a park cop in 1965." Shania waved haphazardly towards her bulletin board where she had collected copies of old newspaper articles.

"Come on Nia, think about it." Danielle responded, trying to sound reasonable. "Those stories have been around for decades. That 1965 report of the creature would make it over a hundred years old by now."

Shania continued stubbornly. "Well, Tracy says that it chased Ricky off and then it even spoke to her, telling her that she could do better than that creep."

"Oh good grief, it was late at night and Tracy was probably just seeing a trick of the shadows. Ricky claims it never happened." Danielle paused.

Pamela jumped in. "Tracy says it was a full moon that night. And Ricky is just trying to cover his butt. He doesn't want to admit what a coward he was, running off and leaving Tracy alone like that. Besides how can you believe a sleaze-ball loser like Ricky, especially after what he did just a week later to Judy. I mean he raped her." Pamela gave a curt nod of her head to emphasize her point. "Personally, I wouldn't believe Ricky if he told me the sky was blue."

Danielle shook her head. "Forget Ricky. Why would the Creature of Central Park be giving dating advice to Tracy?"

"Somebody needed to." Pamela threw in.

Danielle glared at Pamela and continued. "And it's a good bet that those college kids had probably been partying and were all half drunk by the time they claimed to have seen it." She waved towards the same board of clippings. "Most of those stories you have saved came from the same tabloids that claim that Elvis is still alive and living with aliens."

"Not all of them are tabloids." Shania objected.

Danielle was again shaking her head. "Come on, Nia, think about it. Central Park may be big but it's not that big. Where did it come from? Where does it disappear to? How come no one's ever been able to find it, capture it . . . photograph it?" She smiled. "In fact, the **only** Creature they've ever found, was that poor kid in the Halloween costume that got himself shot by some idiot with a trank gun." She eyed her friend. "Face it, something like a lion-man just couldn't possibly exist. It's biologically impossible. The Central Park Creature is just another silly urban myth." She finished authoritatively.

"I still say that it's real." Shania finished stubbornly. "Pam, back me up. You believe don't you?"

Pamela held up her hands. "Hey, leave me out of this. I can't say one way or the other." She shrugged. "I have to wonder why no one has ever been able to at least get a picture of it by now. Even Bigfoot has appeared in pictures." She paused. "But I will also admit that I think Tracy did see something strange. She's just not the type to lie or make up stuff like that. And it's hard to totally discount that 1965 cop's report. And as for that incident near the castle twenty years ago . . . Drunk or not, a dozen people all saw the same thing. There is really no definitive proof either way." She looked at Danielle and a bit of mischief crept into her face. "Maybe it hides in Belvedere Castle and likes to ride the carousel at night."

"You're **both** hopeless." Danielle declared with a laugh.

Shania's mother poked her head into the room. "The big U.N. conference is about to start, girls. Don't you want to watch the President's opening address?"

"Aw mom, that's so boring." Shania whined, "It's just a lot of boring big shots making boring speeches."

"Well I want to see it." Danielle chided her friend. "This is a major historic moment. The whole world is coming together to finally get rid of those horrible terrorists." She smiled as she took on a wheedling tone. "Come on, Nia. It will put you in good with your political science teacher, maybe even help bring your grade up."

"I'll come watch it with you." Pamela remarked. "I think Jerry Carlton is cute and I know you think so too, Nia."

"He is the youngest man ever to be elected President." Danielle added.

"Oh, alright. Whatever." Shania capitulated.

Shania's mother gave Danielle a slight nod of gratitude. Her daughter had been having trouble with some of her classes and could use all the help she could get. The divorce had hit her daughter pretty hard and it had affected her grades. Even three years later, she still wasn't over it. The woman stepped back as the three girls came out of her daughter's room.

The video showed a Middle Eastern looking man droning on in a foreign language. Shania rolled her eyes as she, Pamela and Danielle settled on the floor in front of the sofa. Her mother brought in a large platter of chips and dip as the middle eastern man stepped down. The commentator announced that the President of the United States was stepping up to the podium. The President hadn't gotten more than five words out when there was the sound of someone yelling in the background. The video announcer exclaimed, "**OH MY GOD!**" They all watched the video in stunned silence as the view swung down towards the center of the room and zoomed in on a figure standing up in the middle of the audience holding up some kind of device. All four stared wide eyed as a figure suddenly appeared, swinging in from the right side of the screen, collided with the screaming man and together they tumbled across the floor. They all clearly heard the words. "**BOMB . . . EMPIRE STATE . . . RADIO TRIGGER**!" They stared mesmerized as the two figures continued to struggle on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly. A third man ran up from the left and started shooting at the two struggling on the floor. Shania's mother put her hand to her mouth and shook her head in denial at what she was seeing. Then some security guards closed in and shot the man with the gun. There were more shots and the image jumped to a view of the podium where the President was being hustled out the far right exit. A man could be seen lying on the podium floor in a pool of blood and there were several people struggling on the floor just in front of the podium. The announcer cried out, "**They've shot the President**." The image on the video screen jumped again to a view of the center of the room as the camera zoomed in to a close-up of the figure they were currently loading onto a stretcher. They all gasped in surprise and amazement as the figure's unique leonine features became clearly visible along with the spreading blood stains across his chest.

"Oh my God, what is that?" Shania's mother asked in a half whisper.

"I don't believe it." Danielle exclaimed quietly to herself.

"It really is the Central Park Lion-Man." Pamela exclaimed in amazement.

Shania just stared at the screen incredulous, unable to speak. For all her protestations of belief, her fixation with the Creature of Central Park seemed to have done nothing to prepare her to accept the reality of it when she was finally confronted with undeniable proof. In short – she was stunned speechless.

They all watched as the camera followed the stretcher to the exit, keeping the creature in clear focus the whole time. The slowly spreading red stain on its chest above it's clawed furry hands and that lion like face made such a powerful yet pitiful image that it was hard to look away. Finally the small group with the stretcher disappeared through the doorway and the camera shifted back to the milling, half panicked crowd on the U.N. General Assembly floor.

Shania finally pulled herself out of her shocked state and looked at her friends, her eyes wide with the enormity of what they had just seen. She shook herself then a huge grin spread across her face. "I told you the Central Park Creature was real." Shania crowed in triumph.

Danielle shook her head, still trying to reconcile her upended world view. "But that **can't** be real. It's impossible."

"You saw it with your own eyes, DeeDee." Shania declared. She suddenly went from triumphant to sad. "Oh, DeeDee, they've killed the Central Park Creature and the President. This is terrible."

"No, the President was still alive and on his feet." Pamela contradicted her. "They showed him leaving the stage."

"But they killed the creature." Shania insisted.

"It doesn't make sense." Danielle was mumbling under her breath. "It's scientifically impossible to cross a lion with a human." Danielle looked at her friends. "There has to be some other explanation."

They all spent the rest of the evening watching the video for any scrap of information about what had happened. They were all relieved at the news that the President's injuries were minor. President Jerry Carlton was one of the most popular leaders in recent times. Soon they were hanging on every word that came out about the creature. Very late that evening it was announced that the creature was still alive. Shania was ecstatic. Danielle was happy but still having difficulty accepting that it was real. Pamela was worrying about what the government was going to do with it, if it lived. Danielle and Pamela spent the night over at their friend's house and they stayed up late talking about what had happened.

As soon they got up the next morning they immediately turned on the video. They were all very surprised when it was announced that there was a nuclear bomb planted at the top of the Empire State Building. Shania's mother turned pale and got a bad case of the shakes when the map displayed on the screen showed that their home was well within the projected blast zone. All of the news was about how the Creature of Central Park had appeared out of nowhere and saved the City of New York from the terrorist's nuclear bomb.

A short time later the media started reporting on an anonymous tip that the Department of Scientific Research was planning to take the creature to a secret government laboratory to dissect it. This really got Danielle agitated. Regardless of what that creature was, that was just plain wrong. Shania was nearly in tears over it. Pamela thought it was a terrible thing to do but she wasn't really surprised that the government would try it.

An hour later, Danielle was still fuming, a bit loudly, over the news of the government wanting to spirit the creature away, when the news cameras zoomed in on a small group that was moving through the crowd outside the hospital. **There were two more of them!?** Danielle was flabbergasted. Shania was stunned. Pamela thought it made sense. Then one woman in the group identified herself as the mother of the creature in the hospital and wife to one of the creatures in the small group. **Impossible! ** Another very pretty, dark haired, girl, that couldn't be much older than Danielle or her friends, identified herself as the fiancé of the creature in the hospital. **This was so unreal!** The other creature in that group had snow white hair / mane? - and had its arm around the waist of a white headed woman. There were two other young women that were not identified.

The media cameras followed the small group all the way through the crowd and into the hospital. Just inside the hospital doors they could be seen being met by some unidentified woman and two police officers. After about a minute the entire group entered an elevator and were lost to view. The news commentators were soon full of wild speculation and debate about what it all meant. A couple of reporters were seen trying to get into the hospital and were turned away by the police.

"If there are three generations, as there appears to be, then there may be even more of them out there somewhere." Pamela remarked. "That explains how the reports could go back so many years. Did you hear that girls response about kids?"

Danielle looked up at her friends still puzzled. "That still doesn't explain where they have been hiding all this time." She shook her head. "There are at least three of them, possibly more, and yet no one has been able to produce any kind of proof of their existence until yesterday. How is that possible?"

Shania merely shrugged. She was still having some difficulty trying to deal with the reality of the creatures' existence. Danielle and Pamela who had never believed in the Central Park Creature were having far less difficulty accepting the reality that was being displayed there in front of them, even though it did leave them with several perplexing questions.

They were still discussing the matter twenty minutes later when the President's News conference started. They were all stunned when the scene switched to the hospital room and there next to the President and his family were all three of the creatures, big as life and so scary magnificent in close-up on the big video screen. All three girls nearly swooned when they clearly heard the creatures' voices for the first time. Then the camera shifted angles to get a better view of the entire group around the creature now identified as Alexander. Danielle gasped startled as she recognized the young girl that was hanging to the back of the room. "Nia, Pam! Look, over on the far right side of the screen. Isn't that Tracy Porter?"

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was just over two weeks after the U.N. incident and all everyone talked about was Alex-n-Alex (the media designation for Alexander and his fiancée Alexandra Holt). At Danielle's school Tracy Porter had become a minor celebrity because of her personal brushes with both, the creature Alexander, and the U.S. President. There was a lot of speculation about how many more of, what the media had dubbed, the leonine Wells-Chandlers there might be out there but it was still only speculation. Some other members of the family had been identified though and they all tended to be normal looking and well respected people. So far only four of the leonine males were positively known to exist, the three that had already been seen and there was supposed to be a younger brother to Alexander, named Jonathon, that no one had yet seen.

Then the new Brigit O'Donnell book about Catherine Chandler and Vincent hit the stands and was an instant best seller. Danielle read the entire, fairly long, book in about two and a half days. Shania read her copy in five days. Two more of the leonine males, Devin and Joseph, were identified and appeared publicly but, except for Alexander and his, as yet unseen, younger brother, they were all apparently married, much to the despair of teenage girls everywhere.

Everyone was trying to trace the family tree based on the information in the book, looking for more unknown leonine decedents of Vincent and Catherine. Semi-retired fashion supermodel Emily Hansen, revealed that she was married to Devin Chandler-Wells back in '37 and they both began appearing in public together. Emily refused to comment on her three mysterious sabbaticals but there was a lot of speculation in the media about the possibility of more unknown leonine children from her and Devin. Paulette Gibson and her husband Joseph Chandler-Wells came out into the open which made it obvious how her publishing house had gotten the book. Patricia Chandler-Wells published her paper on the Wells-Chandler genetic anomaly proving that beneath all the leonine trappings they were essentially still genetically human.

Rumors began to circulate about Alexander's younger brother and soon everyone wanted to know more about him but so far he had still not appeared in public. There was a resurgence of interest in every Beauty and the Beast story and movie ever done. Young girls began to dream of the possibilities of finding a 'Wells-Chandler' of their very own. Shania, Danielle and Pamela were no exception.

A month and a half later it was time for mid-terms and talk of the Wells-Chandlers gave way to panic and late night cram sessions. Danielle spent more time helping Shania cram for her tests than studying for her own. Pamela even stepped in a couple of times to help. Somehow, through Herculean effort, they managed to get Shania reasonably well prepared. Then the testing began and for a short time nothing else mattered.

_**Continued in Part 2**_

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'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	2. A Family History Lesson

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

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**Chapter 2 : A Family History Lesson**

Danielle had aced all her mid-terms and, as a reward, her mother took her out on a mother daughter shopping trip to several of the better shops in lower Manhattan. Her father had sent them off with a grin and a half-hearted plea to please be gentle with the credit cards. They had both bought a few new outfits. Danielle also got a really nice dress for the senior prom that would be coming up in a month and a half. She also got the latest new cellular phone. Then they went to Central Park for a picnic lunch. While there they caught a glimpse of Alexander and Alexandra walking over near the Carousel. Danielle wanted to get a closer look but her mother said it would be rude to intrude on them and refused. Soon they were talking about the latest Wells-Chandler news. The biggest news to have come out was yesterday's revelation that retired and recently deceased District Attorney Elizabeth Maxwell had been married to Catherine and Vincent's second son, Charles. The display videos in some of the stores they had been in were full of this news. That of course brought out the revelation that the current District Attorney Clarissa was a member of the Chandler-Wells family and sister to William Chandler-Wells.

When Danielle and her mother returned home they found her father watching the family room video intently. The show he was watching appeared to be a documentary about Charles and Elizabeth. When they approached, he looked up at them. He was uncharacteristically somber.

"Michael? Are you OK?" Julie asked, a worried frown on her face.

He gazed at her for several seconds then he looked down at the video remote in his hands with a deep sigh. He glanced over at the video screen for a moment then turned it off. "Sit down." He said quietly as he stared intently at his wife and daughter. When he spoke it was slow and deliberate like he was weighing every word. "Julie, I never told you much about my life before we met."

"There is no need to, Dear. You have been the perfect husband and father, everything I could possibly want." She reached out and touched his hand. "That is all I need to know."

Danielle was a little worried now. Her father looked so serious.

"While I was watching that show just now I learned a few things and it brought it all back." He looked at them. "I just felt a need to talk."

"Daddy, should I go so you and Mom can talk?" Danielle was sure this would be something private between her mother and father and she didn't want to intrude.

"No, that's OK. It wouldn't hurt for you to hear this. It might help you understand why I am so strict about certain things." He nodded as he responded.

He took a deep breath and, after a few seconds, began to talk.

"My family wasn't well off, but we were comfortable. Then father died when I was eleven years old. My sister was thirteen. It was devastating for all of us. Especially for Mother, who had never been a particularly strong person to begin with. Oh she had always been a very good mother and she was totally devoted to my father, but Father was the real strength in our family. Mother just couldn't handle it and she fell apart. Six months after Father's death Mother was drowning in alcohol. She had always had a tendency to over indulge, especially at parties, but Father had always been able to keep it under control. I think Mother leaned on Father's strength a great deal more than anyone had realized.

Life at home was miserable after that. For all intents Mother was pretty much absent from our lives. If she wasn't out drinking, she was passed out up in her room. It was worse when she was awake. She wasn't abusive but she really wasn't our mother anymore. She was more like an embarrassing house guest that was always breaking things or falling down and getting hurt. We didn't dare bring any of our friends to our home for fear that word would get back to the wrong people.

Sis and I tried to hold it together but shortly after my sister's fourteenth birthday she just couldn't take it any more and ran away from home. I didn't report it to the authorities for fear of what the police might do if they found out about my mother. Mother was so far gone that she didn't even notice Sis was missing. After that I continued to try to hold it together on my own.

Mother kept sinking deeper into the booze and finally even drugs. Eventually I couldn't take it any more either and I too ran away from home. I was only thirteen and full of self pity when I left home. I soon fell in with a bad element and ended up running with a rather violent gang. I was too young, too stupid and too angry to realize what I was doing to myself. I had several scrapes with the law and each time I was caught, they dumped me into another foster home. None of those homes were much more than warehouses to store problem kids till they became adults. They certainly were not equipped to help us deal with our emotional problems. Each time I would run away and end up back with the gang. The one time I tried to go back to my own home, I found the house abandoned and posted for repossession. Mother was nowhere to be found.

Eventually I got into something seriously bad, and ended up in jail. I would rather not say any more about that than to say that I really screwed up. I was a fourteen year old street rat eaten up by self pity and hate, and I was in trouble up to my eyeballs. I had become trapped in a pit of my own making and there seemed to be no escape for me.

Elizabeth Maxwell was the prosecutor that got the case and she pulled me into her office for interrogation. I suppose she wanted to find out what else the gang I had been running with had been up to, since she already had more than enough evidence to put me away for a long time.

By the time she was through with me, she had me scared to death. Then she told me that I was ruining my life and sent me back to the jail. I thought my life was over. In truth, the way I had been going, it was over. I literally cried myself to sleep in my cell that night.

The next morning they hauled me back to the DA's office. Elizabeth was there along with two very professional looking men and a man that looked like your typical New York deli shop keeper. She told me that one of the professional looking men was a lawyer and the other was a councilor. She said that she had worked out a deal where I would be released, on probation, in the care of the third man, Gary Robinson, and his family on the condition that I returned to school and went to see the councilor once a week. She also told me that she had contacted the Wells-Chandler foundation and they had arranged for that lawyer to represent my legal affairs.

She told me that if I stayed out of trouble and finished high school she would see to it that all charges were dropped on the day I graduated. Then she told me that if I screwed up, I would end up back in jail, probably for most of the rest of my life.

For nearly a year things went smoothly and I stayed out of trouble. I went to school and did OK. I worked evenings in the Robinsons' shop for pocket money. The shop was a little combination grocery store, sandwich shop and pharmacy. Once each week I went into Manhattan to see the councilor for an hour.

The councilor really tried to help me and, in fact, he did help me somewhat, but the knot of anger and self pity was still there, slowly smoldering deep inside me. Then one day there was a minor disaster and I let my anger get the better of me, getting myself into a bit of trouble.

I thought I had really blown it and I ran away from the people that I had been staying with. By nightfall I had ended up wandering aimlessly in Central Park. I got cornered by a pack of gang bangers, a lot like the ones I used to run with, in a dark rarely patrolled area. I knew they were going to kill me and at that moment I was almost to the point of not caring. But there was still a small part of me that didn't want to die and was scared.

Suddenly this huge hulking figure came out of the darkness and broke up the attack. He threw them around like they were nothing and drove them off, then he disappeared into the shadows. It was so dark and he was moving so fast that I never got a good look at him. Once the shock of surviving certain death wore off, I realized that I was still in trouble and collapsed into a nearby bench, sinking into a swamp of self pity and emotional pain.

After a while I became aware that the same huge figure that had chased off my attackers was now sitting quietly on the bench next to me. I have no idea how long he had been there. He was wearing this long hooded cloak like thing and heavy leather gloves. I was torn between curiosity and a desire to run away. After a while he started to talk, just inconsequential things at first, the weather, the shapes and colors of the fallen leaves. Meaningless harmless comments about all sorts of unrelated things. His voice had such power and compassion that I couldn't help but listen. Then he started asking my opinion about the things he commented on, drawing me in.

As the night wore on the subjects became more deep, more meaningful. He drew me out, got me to open up. It was like he knew me, understood me better than I understood myself. I opened up and unburdened myself like I had never been able to before. I told him things about me that I had never told anyone else. We sat there talking for hours and I felt like tons of dead weight had been lifted from my back. Then he began to advise me about all the possibilities that were still out there for me. He convinced me that it was too soon to give up on myself, that I should go back and give it another try.

I was still afraid to go back and face them but he helped me find the courage I needed. As he got up to leave I asked him who he was. I still had not been able to get a look at his face. He paused, his back to me, and told me his name was Charles, then walked off.

I sat there for over an hour after he left, thinking, working myself up to going back. It was well into the early hours of the morning by then. That walk back to the Robinson's place was the longest, hardest journey I ever took. When I got to within sight of the place there were a couple of cop cars with their lights flashing and three cops standing out front. I almost turned around and ran away again but the courage Charles had helped me find surged up and I continued the rest of the way. I could feel the eyes of the three cops bore into my back as I walked up to the front door.

When I entered the place Elizabeth Maxwell was there with two more cops. I was sure she was going to have me hauled back to jail. Instead she sent the police away and welcomed me back. Then she informed me that she had found my sister. It turned out that she had been arrested for prostitution. Elizabeth was making arrangements to get my sister the same deal that she had given me. Two days later Sis came to live with the Robinsons. I can't tell you how great it was to have her back.

Sis had been through an even rougher time than I had. After about a week I finally got her to talk to me about it by using the same type of techniques that Charles had used to get me to open up. It really did her a lot of good and it felt great to be able to help her like that. After that we talked a lot to each other about what we had been through. We grew a lot closer and I think we were both much better off as a result.

Less than a month later, Elizabeth located our mother. She got her into the Wells-Chandler Foundation Addiction Recovery Program. A year later she came out whole again. The foundation trained her and set her up in a new job. Then they arranged to set us up in a new home of our own. We were a family again. Mother's poor health those last two years before she died was the result of her earlier bout with the booze and drugs. But she lived long enough to see Sis and me each happily married and she got to meet all five of her grandchildren. None of that would have been possible without the foundation.

When Sis and I graduated from high school, the foundation connected us each up with a scholarship so we could go to college. Sis got her Masters degree in accounting. I got a Bachelors degree in computer science. Sis ended up working as an accountant for Burch Industries and I was able to start my own business as a computer consultant."

There was a pause as he sat there watching them process what he had just told them. Danielle had tears in her eyes. She looked over to see her mother sitting there listening with a serene half smile on her face, though there were hints of tears in her eyes as well. She found herself remembering how sad her father had been the day it was announced that Elizabeth Maxwell had passed away. Finally her father continued.

"Elizabeth Maxwell and The Wells-Chandler Foundation saved my family and probably saved all our lives. I'm sure you remember five years ago when I got that big contract to upgrade the computer systems in the Wells-Chandler administrative office. In the process of porting the files to the new system, I got a look at most of the paperwork that authorized everything they did for myself and my family. It was all signed by Charles Chandler-Wells. The same Charles that was the second son of Vincent and Catherine. The same Charles that spent several hours talking to a certain lost teenager one night in Central Park and helped him to finally turn his life around."

Her father glanced over at the blank video screen then looked back at Danielle and her mother. "I just learned for the first time today who and what Charles Chandler-Wells really was. I wish I could have known him better. I wish I could have personally thanked him for all he did for Mom, Sis and me."

Danielle's father reached out and took her mother's hands in his own. "By the time I met you in college all of that was behind me and you came from a well-to-do family so I never told you about it. I was afraid I might lose you if you knew about my family's sordid past."

After a few moments Danielle's mother spoke. "Michael, dear." She smiled. "I already knew most of what you just told me when I married you. The only thing I didn't know about was the involvement of Elizabeth, Charles and the Foundation in what happened to you."

Danielle's father looked at her mother in shocked surprise. Danielle also looked at her mother in surprise.

Julie continued. "You know how protective Daddy is. Shortly after we started dating, he had you investigated. He told me every thing he had found out. Tried to warn me off." She smiled. "It just made you more impressive in my eyes. To think of all you had been through and still you had made it back." She paused, her smile soft with her love for him. "In time I got Daddy to see you the way I did and by the time we married he was as proud of your accomplishments as I was."

Danielle was impressed that her father actually had a connection with one of the Wells-Chandlers and she also found herself very proud of what her father had accomplished.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle cried broken heartedly on her friend Shania's shoulder. "How could he do that to me?"

"Leonard is an idiot and, everyone knows, Melanie Coulter is such a sleaze that she'll do it with anything in pants." Shania patted Danielle's back. "You're better off without him."

"But I loved him." Danielle cried. "I would have done almost anything for him."

"Any guy that is lucky enough to have you and then goes and does it with a slut like Melanie is a 'Total Loser' with a capital 'L'. I had been hearing rumors that this isn't the first time he's done this. You should have dumped that jerk a long time ago." Shania continued. "You're just lucky Melanie is such a big mouth. If she hadn't been overheard talking about it to one of her few friends, you would still be going with that slime."

Danielle continued to cry. Shania was right, of course, she was better off without him. But that still didn't make her broken heart, hurt any less.

~ ( BatB ) ~

A week later Danielle's parents took her to a Broadway play to celebrate her birthday and to help her get her mind off the big break-up. As the curtain came down for intermission a man came out on stage and announced that Alexander and Alexandra were there in the audience. As she and her mother were on their way back from the refreshment counter they spotted a large knot of people and there in the group's midst was Alexander, big as life.

Danielle wanted to get a closer look but there was no way she could get through that crowd. Then the theatre employees moved in and helped the unique couple get through the crowd and back to their seats. All during the second half of the play, Danielle would occasionally glance over to where Alex-n-Alex were seated.

During the cab ride home, discussion of the play seemed to take a back seat to the excitement of seeing Alex-n-Alex for a second time. When they got home that night, Danielle's father presented her with an airline ticket to Washington D.C for the next week. She was very close to her mother's parents in D.C. and she wanted to see them for her birthday. The ticket was her father's birthday present to her.

_**Continued in Part 3**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	3. A Very Unique Plane Ride

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 3 : A Very Unique Plane Ride**

Fortunately Danielle was far enough ahead in her classes that her teachers had not balked at her taking the week off for this trip. Having aced all her mid-terms also helped. She suspected that her very public break-up with Leonard two weeks ago had garnered her a good deal of sympathy from them as well. For an intensely private person like Danielle, one of the drawbacks to being popular was that the whole school knew about the break-up and most of them knew why it had happened. She had needed this time away from school and all the talk and pitying looks.

Danielle glanced around as she reached her assigned seat. The plane was nearly full, with the exception of the fairly large block of empty seats on the other side of the aisle from her. She stowed her carry-on in the empty overhead across the aisle from her seat and, after a quick curious glance at the empty block of seats, sat down. After getting settled she pulled out the magazine she had bought in the terminal. There was an article about the Wells-Chandlers in it, - surprise, surprise. Everywhere you looked the media was full of the President's Global War on Terror and the Wells-Chandlers. Everyone was talking about Alex-n-Alex and Alexander's mysterious younger brother – the only 'known' unattached Wells-Chandler.

She was trying to read her magazine when she became aware of the sudden drop in the level of babble in the plane. She looked up to see a fair sized group including **three of the Wells-Chandler males!?** coming up the aisle. She immediately recognized Alexander and Alexandra. William was also easy to recognize but the third Wells-Chandler wasn't familiar to her.

She quickly flipped to the page in her magazine that had pictures of the five Wells-Chandlers currently known to be alive. There was a sixth blank image to represent Jonathon. She looked back at the group coming up the aisle toward her. Could the third one be Alexander's younger brother, Jonathon?

The group took their seats. The unknown male sat in the window seat directly across the aisle from her. The other two seats were occupied by two young women that she recognized as Alexander's two sisters. He must be the mysterious brother that everyone was speculating about. She tried to get her mind back on her magazine.

During takeoff, Danielle became aware of muted giggling to her left and looked over to see all three of the leonine males gazing out their windows. She couldn't blame them. She had spent half of her first plane ride gazing out the window. The women sitting beside them found it very amusing. Once the plane was well on its way she noticed that Jonathon, at least she thought he was Jonathon, began to study the rest of the passengers and she went back to her magazine.

Danielle couldn't help herself. Though she tried hard to concentrate on her magazine, she kept finding her gaze drawn to the unknown leonine across the aisle and she found herself staring in fascination at him. There was something so magnificent about him and she found that her emotions were being stirred up. She began to picture herself with him and felt shivers run up her spine. He suddenly looked over and caught her gaze. She blushed hotly and looked away, her heart pounding.

**He had looked at her!**

A couple of minutes later she was again staring and he again looked over and caught her gaze. She buried herself in her magazine and was trying vainly to get her unruly emotions under control. Just about the time she finally got herself back under some semblance of emotional control she became aware of someone standing in the aisle next to her seat.

~ o ~

Jonathon was acutely aware of the scrutiny he was receiving as they all boarded the plane. He made a quick check of his seat number on his ticket and located the appropriate row. He had the window seat. Karen had the middle seat and Vicki had the aisle seat. He also noticed a very pretty blonde girl in the adjacent aisle seat.

He had watched fascinated out the window as the plane took off but although his father and brother both continued to gaze out the windows he was soon more interested in the other people aboard the plane. The atmosphere was thick with the emotions of the rest of the passengers, however about a half hour after takeoff he became aware of a particularly intense _curiosity_ mixed with a strong hint of -_erotic_?- _desire_ coming from directly to his right. He glanced over and found himself looking into the dark brown eyes of the pretty blonde girl he had noticed earlier.

She gave off _embarrassed surprise_ and quickly looked down at her magazine. He could clearly see the blush rise in the side of her face and smiled. A little while later he again became aware of the intense scrutiny and glanced over. Again he caught the eyes of the same pretty girl and again she glanced down in embarrassment.

He unobtrusively watched her for a couple of minutes and finally he decided that he wanted to meet that girl.

~ o ~

Danielle looked up to see who was standing so close beside her seat. To her astonishment she found herself staring into the most incredible golden eyes in that same magnificent leonine face that had been drawing her gaze since she first saw him.

"Hello, my name is Jonathon." He said to her. She had been right; he was the unseen younger brother of Alexander!

She felt the heat rise in her face as she blushed bright red, while at the same time she felt the effects of his voice all the way down to her guts. Finally she managed to stammer out, "Uh . . . Dee . . . ah . . . Danielle."

"So where are you heading, Danielle?" He asked her.

The sound of his voice saying her name sent a thrill that shot through her like an electric current. After a few moments to pull herself together she responded. "I'm going to Washington D.C . . . to see my grandparents." She told him.

"That's where we are heading." Jonathon responded. "My family is spending a week there and my brother Alex is going to be given some kind of medal by the President." He informed her with a bit of brotherly pride in his voice. "How long are you going to be staying?"

"I'm staying with my grandparents for a week." She glanced down shyly. "It's a kind of birthday present."

"That sounds nice." He smiled at her just enough that she could see the tips of fangs peeking out. "When is your birthday?"

"It's Friday." She replied and blushed again.

A stewardess came up to them at that point. "Sir, I apologize but we prefer to keep the aisles clear for traffic." She was obviously a little embarrassed about having to ask him to clear the aisle but it was regulation.

Jonathon turned and smiled at her. "Of course. I understand." He turned back to Danielle. "Would you like to trade seats with my sister for a while so we can continue to talk?" He turned to face his sisters. "Karen, would you be willing to trade seats with Danielle?"

Karen had been watching the previous exchange with interest. She knew that her brother had already felt her answer but she couldn't resist a little fun. She stared over at the girl for several seconds then acted like she was thinking it over. "Weellll . . . I don't know."

"Oh I don't want to put you out." Danielle interjected a bit embarrassed.

"Think nothing of it." Karen replied with a smile as she stood up. "Besides if I didn't trade with you, he'd never let me hear the end of it." She stepped out into the aisle."

Danielle blushed as she stood up. "If you're sure you don't mind."

Karen quickly scooted into the seat then looked up at Danielle. "It's already done. You're stuck with him now." She giggled at the look on Danielle's face.

Jonathon went back to his seat and Victoria motioned for Danielle to take the empty seat. Once Danielle was seated Victoria introduced herself. Just before the stewardess moved on, she caught Danielle's eye and gave her a furtive thumbs up which caused her to blush again.

Jonathon began to chuckle. When Danielle glanced at him in curiosity he nodded toward the retreating stewardess. "I guess she approves." Jonathon next introduced Danielle to his parents in the seats behind them. She soon found herself on friendly terms with Jonathon and those of his family seated nearby.

All of the flight crew came back to meet Jonathon and his family at some time during the flight and Jonathon's family treated them with friendly respect. The crew of the plane were falling all over each other in their attempt to give all of the Chandler-Wells family the royal treatment, which spilled over to Danielle since she was seated with them. Two other stewardesses openly gave her the thumbs up sign and a big grin. It also seemed like every passenger on that plane passed by their seats at least twice. Every time someone passed their seat Jonathon would look up at them and acknowledge them with a friendly greeting.

As they were talking they discovered that they both had a strong interest in American history and they got into a rather animated conversation about it. At one point he touched her hand while making some point about the Civil War and she felt an electric thrill run through her at the contact. She glanced up at him and saw a knowing smile on his face. He obviously knew the effect his touch was having on her. The fur on his hand was so soft and sensuous feeling. She glanced down and noticed for the first time how long and sharp his claws were. She looked up in surprise.

Jonathon had felt her _shock_ and just the tiniest hint of _fear_ as she got her first really good look at his claws. He looked down at their still touching hands. "I know . . . they are pretty sharp." He shrugged. "Do you mind?"

She got goose bumps but she barely shook her head. "No." She looked back down at his hand resting on hers and patted it a bit timidly. "It's OK." She looked up and gave him a shy smile.

He felt her _acceptance_ as the initial _fear_ disappeared. He didn't take his hand away and she continued to enjoy the contact.

The rest of the flight seemed to literally fly by. By the end of the flight he had given her his home phone number and had gotten her phone number, her New York address and the address of her grandparents. Upon landing Danielle was actually quite disappointed that the flight was over so soon.

When the crew announced that the passengers could now disembark everyone remained in their seats to allow Jonathon and his family to exit the plane first. They were treated to a general barrage of goodbyes from everyone. Jonathon had a firm grip on her hand and drew Danielle into the aisle along with his family. He retrieved her carry-on and held on to it as they exited the airplane. Danielle felt the heat rise in her face as he pulled her along down the jetway. She looked into his face to see him grinning back at her, his fangs a bit more prominently displayed, and felt warm all over.

As they entered the arrival lounge, Danielle glanced into the crowd waiting for them and spotted her grandparents standing there with the most surprised look on their faces. She could imagine that they were a bit shocked when they saw who was holding hands with their granddaughter as she got off the airplane.

Jonathon gave her hand a quick kiss which sent tingles up her spine then released her hand and handed her carry-on back to her. "I'll call you later." He smiled as they separated. She watched him walk away with his family for a couple of seconds then turned to face her grandparents whose faces showed a combination of disbelief and amazement. After a quick round of hugs they went to pick up her luggage.

By the time they got to the luggage carousel Danielle's grandparents were flooding her with questions about her flight over and especially about the companion she had come off the plane with. After they left the terminal her grandparents took her to a nice restaurant for lunch. All during the meal the conversation centered on her impressions of Jonathon and his family. She confirmed or discounted many of the rumors that had been circulating about the Wells-Chandlers, or at least Jonathon.

After lunch they went over to the mall and spent some time walking around and talking about what she would like to do while she was staying there. She told them that she really wanted to see the Smithsonian and she was also hoping to get to visit the Whitehouse, maybe even catch a glimpse of President Carlton while she was there.

When they got to her grandparent's house they turned on the video to see what news there was about the visit of Jonathon's family. The news program showed video that was mostly shot outside the terminal as the family crossed to the waiting limousines and got into them. Mostly it concentrated on the presentation of the medals that was scheduled for Wednesday. The news also speculated about Alex-n-Alex. Danielle elaborated on what she had learned about them from Jonathon. There was one poor quality video shot from a distance through the windows of the arrival lounge that showed the entire group exiting the plane. The very shaky fuzzy image centered momentarily on Jonathon and Danielle as the news commentator droned on. ". . . Could this be Alexander's elusive younger brother? And who is the girl that can be seen getting off the plane with him? . . ."

About dinner time Danielle's phone signaled a call. It was Jonathon!

"Jonathon, how nice to hear from you." She looked up to see her grandparents looking wide eyed at her.

"Danielle I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me on your birthday?" He asked.

"Lunch with you on Friday?" She glanced over at her grandparents who both nodded. "Ah, yea, sure I'd love to."

"Good, that's great . . . Oh by the way we'll be eating at the Whitehouse with the President and his family." He explained to her. Danielle sat down rather suddenly as her stunned mind tried to deal with what he had just said. Jonathon continued. "I also got invitations for you and your grandparents to the medal presentation ceremony on Wednesday if you're interested." She continued to sit there stunned. "Danielle?" There was just a hint of amusement in his voice.

She dragged herself out of her shock. "Uh, yea . . . sure . . . we'd love to go. . . Thanks."

"Great. I'll talk to you later. Oh! The invitations are supposed to arrive at your grandparents' place tomorrow. Happy birthday. Bye."

She sat there for several seconds before looking up at her grandparents who were bursting with curiosity about her reactions. "He invited me to have lunch with him at the Whitehouse Friday." She paused as she gazed into space. "We'll be eating with the First Family." She looked at her grandparents who were now staring at her almost as stunned as she was. "And we have all been invited to attend the medal presentation on Wednesday." Another pause. "Jonathon said that the printed invitations will arrive here at the house tomorrow."

_**Continued in Part 4**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	4. Medals , Excitement And Culture

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 4 : Medals , Excitement. And Culture**

Early Tuesday morning the promised invitations were delivered by special courier. Danielle and her grandparents spent the majority of the day touring the city and shopping for appropriate attire for the two big events. Her grandmother insisted on getting her two very nice semi-formal outfits for the occasions saying that it was a special birthday gift from them.

That evening the news was full of the Wells-Chandlers' tour of the city. The video showed an image of Jonathon and his family lined up and gazing up at Lincoln's statue. They all had looks of reverent respect on their faces. Danielle knew about how much Jonathon admired Lincoln and knew how much that visit meant to him.

The news was also full of the Great Race up the Washington monument between Jonathon and his father, William. They also talked about the fact that Alexander hadn't taken part because he was still not fully recovered from all of the bullet wounds he had received in the U.N. terrorists incident. Though he required a cane to get around, they pointed out that he was doing remarkably well considering he had been paralyzed from the waist down immediately after the attack.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The next day the media broadcast the President's address to the joint session of Congress on the current state of world wide war on terror. Danielle and her grandparents watched in fascination. They were all three impressed by Alexander's poise as he presented his short remarks at the end of the speech.

That afternoon a limousine showed up at Danielle's grandparent's house to take them to the Whitehouse where the medal presentation was to take place on the lawn. Her grandparents were flattered by this special treatment. Especially when they were shown where their seats would be on the front row.

Danielle and her grandparents were sitting there talking excitedly about the upcoming event when Jonathon's family showed up.

Jonathon came straight over and introduced himself and his sisters to Danielle's grandparents. Then he sat down next to her and they were soon talking about what they had been doing yesterday. Jonathon enthusiastically approved her new outfit for this event.

Karen was seated on Jonathon's other side. The media was all around them setting up their equipment for the broadcast. About half of the seats were already filled with the various dignitaries that had enough clout to get invited. After a while she noticed that Jonathon was glancing around at the crowd. She also noticed that Karen had started watching Jonathon and was beginning to wonder if something was wrong.

"Excuse me a moment, I need to go see my brother." Jonathon remarked. "I'll be right back." He jumped up.

"I'm coming, too." Karen asserted as she also jumped up. "I need to wish him good luck."

They headed back to the screened off area behind, and to the side of, the stage. A few minutes later Danielle saw Alexander and William appear at the edge of the screened area and stand there scanning the crowd. They both smiled at friends and family in the front row then disappeared behind the curtain. A few minutes after that William came out and walked over to one of the Secret Service agents that was standing at the edge of the crowd near the podium. They spoke together for a few seconds then the agent followed William to the screened off area. Danielle was beginning to wonder what was going on.

A few minutes later some man bumped into her nearly knocking her over then helped her steady herself before continuing into the crowd. She noticed a lot of jostling as more people made their way to their seats. After a while the agent came out and resumed his post. Jonathon and the rest of his family all came out and took their seats also.

Danielle thought that Jonathon seemed a bit tense and asked him. "Jonathon, is everything OK?"

Jonathon looked at her. "I'm not sure. There are some people here that don't like the President very much."

"Oh no, will there be trouble?" She asked now a bit worried.

"I don't know. I hope not." He replied.

President Carlton stepped up to the podium and she noticed Jonathon became very intense as he glanced around the crowd.

The appropriate moment arrived and Alexander, Alexandra and Clarissa stepped up onto the small stage. Danielle's feelings of anticipation increased. The President gave a short speech praising the heroes and recounting their parts in foiling the terrorist plot. Then he approached Alexander.

Alexander suddenly launched himself at the President catching both President Carlton and the Secret Service agent standing next to him, knocked them both down and landed on top of them both. At the same time Jonathon shot out of his seat and tackled one of the cameramen that was standing close by. Then Danielle realized that she had heard some pop sounds and noticed that William and the agents by the podium had knocked down a couple of cameramen. Some shots rang out and two more cameramen dropped to the ground.

Three Secret Service men came up and relieved Jonathon of the man he had tackled. He stood up and glanced anxiously up at the stage where a paramedic had just approached Alexandra. She had apparently been hit in the shoulder. Alexander was helping the President back to his feet. Jonathon then glanced over toward Danielle's left as he brushed himself off and she realized that William had also tackled someone.

Everyone was talking at once as Jonathon calmly made his way back to his seat. Danielle began shivering in reaction and Jonathon put his arms around her to comfort her. It worked. Soon she was feeling much calmer. Having his strong arms around her made her feel safe, protected. He had taken that assassin down so fast she was still trying to convince herself that she had seen it happen.

Twenty minutes later, after the assassins, alive and dead, were removed, the ceremony resumed. President Carlton insisted that both William and Jonathon come up to the podium so that they could also be recognized for their heroic actions today. After the three medals had been passed out, President Carlton gave a very short speech emphasizing that today's actions only proved that these three people deserved the medals they were receiving today. He also remarked that though William and Jonathon had not received metals today they had distinguished themselves and deserved equal praise. Then the presentation was done and they received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Danielle was so proud of Jonathon as she gazed at him standing up there next to the President being praised for his heroic actions today. When Jonathon returned to his seat Danielle presented him with her own award for heroism, a hug and a kiss on each cheek.

After the ceremony they were standing around talking when President Carlton came up to them. He glanced over at Danielle and addressed Jonathon. "And who is this young woman?"

"This is Danielle Duke Mr. President." Jonathon replied. "We met on the plane coming down here." He grinned. "Friday is her birthday and she's here spending it with her grandparents."

"So this is the one you lobbied so hard to get invited." He faced Danielle and her grandparents. "It is a pleasure to meet you and happy birthday to you young lady. I look forward to seeing you at lunch Friday."

"Ah, thank you, Sir." She barely managed to get out. While Danielle stood there stunned at this close encounter with the President of the United States, he exchanged greetings with her grandparents then moved on. Danielle continued to float in a daze all during the ride back home.

Danielle and her grandparents spent the rest of the evening relaxing back at their home and watching the news reports. Once again the media was full of news about the latest heroics of the Wells-Chandlers. There was also a lot of speculation about the latest assassination attempt and what the administration might do about it. Near the end there was also some mention of the unidentified young woman that had been seen with Alexander's younger brother Jonathon. As before there were no clear pictures of her and the few who might know were not talking.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Thursday Danielle's grandparents took her to the Smithsonian Museum. After a short while, her grandparents told her that she was young and so full of energy that she should go off on her own and enjoy herself. They would take it easy and she could call them and meet up where they started when she was ready to leave. Danielle hung around with them for a while longer before going off on her own. She crossed paths with them once in the natural history section and they rested for a short time in the museum's snack area.

Later, in the American culture section, Danielle noticed a large knot of people and wandered over to see what was going on. There was some kind of presentation of some items to the museum going on but she couldn't get close enough to find out what. Then the crowd began to break up and she spotted William, Alexander and Jonathon. Her heart did a little jump. Jonathon was suddenly looking intently in her direction. He quickly made his way over to her and asked her if she would like to join him.

The next stop was the Air and Space Museum. Danielle was amused at the way the boys were totally dazed by the exhibits. She was also very happy to be with Jonathon. Danielle laughed with delight when Jonathon tried to climb into the Mercury capsule and despite being the smallest of the three leonine males was way too big to fit. "Well it seems that the Wells-Chandlers are doomed to be a strictly earth bound phenomenon." She teased him. "The rest of the universe will just have to do without."

She hung with Jonathon until early in the afternoon. Alexandra's grandfather, who was pretty old and not in the best of health, got very tired. There was some discussion about who should go back to the hotel with him. Danielle knew that they all wanted to stay and this was not her first time in D.C., so she offered to go back to the hotel with him. She called her grandparents and told them that she had met a friend and, if they didn't mind, she would be spending the rest of the evening with her friend. Jonathon had told her that he would see that she got home OK.

They got a taxi and Danielle went back to the hotel with Alexandra's grandfather. Jonathon was going to go with her but she told him that She had seen the museum a couple of times before and he hadn't so she insisted that he stay with his family and enjoy himself. While she was back at the hotel with Norman he regaled her with the stories that his late wife, Beverly, used to tell about Vincent and his family. It turned out that Norman's late wife had been trapped underground with Jacob after the 9-11 attack and had become friends with them. He also told her about how he had first met Alexander and his family.

Later when the family got back to the hotel they invited her to have dinner with them in the hotel's restaurant. After dinner she and Jonathon spent some time with Alexander and Alexandra in the hotel pool area talking and enjoying the relaxing company.

Afterward Jonathon got one of the cars and drivers that had been assigned to the family. He went with her to her grandparents place. He told her that he enjoyed her company and thanked her for watching after Norman for them and kissed her goodnight.

She entered her grandparent's home, walking on a cloud. He had kissed her! Ever since her first good look at Jonathon she had wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. There had been such a unique feel to his kiss and it had sent tingles all the way down to her toes.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Late Friday morning a limousine pulled up outside of her grandparent's house. A man in a suit came up to the door. As soon as Danielle opened the door, he displayed Secret Service identification. "I have been authorized to extend the lunch invitation to your grandparents. That is why I arrived this early, to give them time to prepare." He handed her two hastily printed invitations. She ran excitedly into the breakfast room and showed her grandparents the two extra invitations.

Lunch at the Whitehouse turned out to be quite pleasant. Danielle really enjoyed the novelty of the experience as well as Jonathon's company. She had been seated between Jonathon and The First Lady. Her grandparents were seated cross from her and a couple of seats down. At one point near the end of the meal, Alexandra's father pronounced the food to be decent, which was pretty high praise from him since he was a five star chief.

The first Lady was very interested in how Jonathon and Danielle had met. Danielle remarked that Jonathon had picked her up on the airplane. Jonathon replied that it was the smartest thing he had done. Then talk shifted to the Medal presentation and the excitement that had erupted during it. Then they got into history and it turned out that the First Lady was as interested in American history as Jonathon and Danielle. For Danielle the highlight was when they brought out a birthday cake for her.

As the lunch party was breaking up Danielle's grandparents invited Jonathan over to have dinner with her at their place that evening and help celebrate her birthday. As the evening wore on Danielle's grandparents quickly became used to Jonathan's presence and were soon enjoying his company. He regaled them with tales of the family history including how his mother had hunted his father, with a trank gun no less, for two years until he had finally caught her.

Shortly after dinner Danielle's parents called to wish her a happy birthday. Her mother had insisted that the barely visible blonde that had gotten off the plane with Jonathon Chandler-Wells looked a lot like Danielle. She replied that it was her and told them all about the very unusual time she had been having while there. She told them that Jonathon was there right now helping celebrate her birthday then she put him on the phone to introduce him to her parents.

Her parents soon found themselves charmed by him, partially due to his naturally charming personality and partially due to some intense off camera coaching by Danielle during the conversation. Both her grandparents had a hard time keeping a straight face as they observed her attempts to coach him through the conversation. Both her parents told Jonathon that they were looking forward to meeting him when he got back to New York.

Almost immediately afterward Danielle got a call from her best friend, Shania Shaffer. Shania had seen the news reports about the arrival in Washington D.C. of the Wells-Chandlers so she knew that they had been on the same plane as Danielle and wanted to know all about what the Central Park Creatures were really like. Danielle replied that they all seemed to be very nice. Jonathon was becoming very amused as he listened to this conversation from off screen. Then Shania asked Danielle if she knew who that mysterious blonde was that had been seen with Jonathon.

Danielle got a wicked gleam in her eyes as she responded. "If you really want to know, why don't you ask him." Then she handed her phone to a very surprised Jonathon, which left her friend quite flustered, impressed and just a bit jealous. Jonathon recovered quickly and talked to Shania for a few minutes before handing the phone back to Danielle. She promised to fill her friend in on all the juicy details when she got back then hung up.

The evening ended with a quick kiss goodnight then Jonathon returned to the hotel. As she closed the door Danielle thought she was rapidly getting hooked on the unique feel of his kisses. She hoped that he would still be interested in her once they were back in New York.

On the ride back to the hotel, Jonathon was thinking a lot about the time he had spent with Danielle over the last few days. He decided that he definitely liked her a lot and planned to see more of her after they returned to New York. He had had a couple of girl friends down in the tunnels but none of them had drawn his interest like Danielle. The rest of Jonathon's family stayed near the hotel and enjoyed relaxing by the pool.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Saturday morning Danielle was scheduled to go back to New York. Jonathan showed up in one of the limos and took her and her grandparents to the airport where he saw her off. He even managed to get in and out of the terminal before the media was aware of it. On the ride back her grandparents thanked him for all he had done to make her birthday so memorable. He responded by telling them that he had really enjoyed her company and wanted to thank them for letting him share her birthday with them.

All the way home, all Danielle could think about was her incredible week with her grandparents and with Jonathon. With the exception of Shania, her friends at school would never believe everything that had happened to her. The media had never gotten a clear image of her or learned her name so there was no proof, like there was with Tracy. She decided that it didn't matter. She had a wonderful time and made some fascinating new friends.

When she was finally back home her parents wanted to know everything about her trip and the Wells-Chandlers that she had met. Knowing about her father's history she made a point of telling them everything she had learned about Charles and Elizabeth. She also told them the more interesting tales about William and Patricia. She exhibited typical teenager reticence when it came to talking about Jonathon.

_**Continued in Part 5**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	5. A Night At The Prom

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 5 : A Night At The Prom**

It was the middle of the first week in May, five days after her return from D.C. and Danielle was bummed. She had no one to take her to the prom now that Leonard was out of the picture. She toyed momentarily with the idea of inviting Jonathon to go with her and rejected it as ridiculous. Someone like Jonathon would hardly be interested in attending a silly high school senior prom. She called a few of her trusted friends to see if there were any worthwhile guys available. The result was very disappointing. Every boy worth going with, already was going with someone. Shania and Pamela already had dates so she contemplated going single and immediately threw that out. She had no interest in the pity that would generate. She'd rather stay home. Finally out of desperation she called the number Jonathon had given her.

The phone was answered by William and she almost hung up. But after a moment's hesitation, she screwed up her courage and asked to speak to Jonathon. She told Jonathon that a week from Friday was her senior prom and asked him if he would be interested in going to it with her. She said that before he answered he should know that the theme of the prom was Beauty and the Beast, in part inspired by the Brigit O'Donnell book and the Alex-n-Alex frenzy since the U.N. incident. She held her breath, expecting him to politely beg of.

He told her that he would love to go and her heart did a little flip flop. He would go to the prom with her!

A few minutes after she hung up Jonathan called back. She saw who was calling and her heart sank. He was probably calling back to cancel. When she answered Jonathon said that he wanted to invite her and her family over for dinner the coming weekend. Then William got on the phone and after a quick conversation with Danielle's, parents the invitation was accepted. Danielle was floating on air the rest of that evening.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Ever since they had talked to her on her birthday, Danielle's family had been dying to meet Jonathon. The entire family had been as caught up in the media frenzy over the Wells-Chandlers as the rest of the country and were all curious. Her father, in particular, had personal reasons to want to know the descendants of Charles Chandler-Wells. They had all grilled Danielle about what they were like. With the exception of information about Jonathon himself, she told them everything she knew. Now they would finally get to meet Jonathon and see for themselves. They were all very impressed when the taxi pulled up in front of the Central Park West brownstone. Danielle led them up to the door and pressed the bell.

Alexander opened the door. "Danielle, Welcome to our home." He stepped back. "All of you, welcome, please come in and make yourself comfortable." With a sparkle in his eye and a chuckle he added, "Dad and Jonathon are up in the garden wrestling with the grill. I'm not sure yet who is winning."

Danielle and her family were even more impressed by their first look at the inside of the old family home. Patricia came around the grand spiral staircase from the kitchen followed by Jacob and Linda. Patricia introduced them and herself. Danielle introduced her parents, Michael and Julie Duke, her older brother Wayne, and her younger brother Mathew. Danielle's brother's had difficulty not staring at Alexander and Jacob, much to their amusement. Karen and Victoria both came downstairs to meet Danielle's family then helped Patricia set out the snacks for everyone.

At first Danielle's family was a little bit nervous but Alexander and Jacob were soon able to put their minds at ease. Since Michael owed so much to Charles and Elizabeth and they had both read the O'Donnell book about Catherine and Vincent, they were already predisposed toward wanting to like Jonathon's family.

Just a few minutes later, Alexandra showed up. She and Alexander had a date planed but they were going to eat with the family before going out. No sooner had they all settling down in the parlor when Alexander, Jacob and Patricia all suddenly looked up toward the ceiling with startled exclamations. A few seconds later a heavy door was heard opening and closing somewhere upstairs and Alexander, Patricia and Jacob appeared to relax just a bit though they continued to look up at the stairway.

"Is something wrong?" Danielle asked. The sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

"I'm not sure." Alexander replied. "But I think we are about to find out."

William came into view as he descended the stairs then Alexander and his sisters let out a little gasp. At first Danielle thought his fur was much darker than she remembered, then she was startled to see a wisp of smoke rise from Williams head. Patricia gasped as she moved toward him. "William! What happened?" she started to pat at the spot where the wisp of smoke was rising.

William raised his hand to forestall her as he struggled to maintain his dignity. "I think we are ready for the steaks now."

"But your face." Patricia remarked insistently. "You're singed."

"It's nothing." He turned and glared at his younger son coming down the stairs behind him. "Jonathon just put a bit too much starter fluid on the charcoal." He reached up and patted the spot over his left ear that was still smoking. Jonathon was looking mortified. "I think I will wash up a bit first." William continued as he started towards the downstairs bathroom.

Alexander cracked up, overcome with laughter and Patricia also started to giggle as she followed William to the bathroom. William glared, all affronted dignity. "Woman, don't you think it rather unseemly to laugh at your husband's misfortune."

"Yes, Dear." She appeared to be striving hard to regain her composure. "You're right, Dear."

Then William's serious look crumbled and he began to chuckle which caused Patricia's laughter to return doubled. Alexandra and Jonathon's sisters finally broke into laughter as well. Jonathon stood by the stairs looking very sheepish.

Danielle came up to him and asked. "Is he going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine." Alexander responded as he also approached his brother. "The most serious injury was to his pride." He clapped his brother on the back. "Don't worry little brother I've done worse and I'm still here."

Patricia came out and announced that everything was under control. A few seconds later William came out. The fur around his face was a bit sparser and his face a bit pinker than normal but otherwise he appeared none the worse for wear. He suggested that Jonathon stay with his guests then took a platter of steaks upstairs.

Patricia and Jonathon took their guests on a quick tour of their home. A short time later William announced that diner was now ready and would be served up in the rooftop garden. The dinner was held picnic style in the front open air part of the garden. Everyone enjoyed the meal as well as the spectacular view overlooking Central Park. William and Jonathon both took a good deal of ribbing from the rest of the family over the charcoal grill caper. Alexander commented that it was nice to not be the one taking the heat for a change. William and Jonathon both groaned at the pun.

After dinner Alexander and Alexandra left on their date. William, Patricia, Jacob, Linda, Michael and Julie ended up in the parlor talking about their families, their kids, and the current state of politics. All of the kids ended up in the third floor library playing a rather noisy card game.

By the time they left Danielle's family had all developed a fondness for Jonathon and his family. Her family agreed that despite their strange almost frightening appearance, they were really very nice people. Danielle suspected that the charcoal grill incident had done a lot to loosen everyone up and help break the ice.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The limousine pulled up outside of the apartment building where Shania lived. Kevin and Danny stepped out of the limo and entered the building. Shania and Pamela were both there waiting for their prom dates. Both boys were quite blown away by how great their dates looked in their prom dresses. Shania looked over her boyfriend, Kevin Ellison, with appreciation, he really looked good in his suit. Pamela barely recognized her date, Danny Howell. He really cleaned up nice. After the usual preliminaries the four of them got into the limo and it headed out. The next stop would be Danielle then last it would pick up Danielle's date. Danielle had been very closed mouth about who was taking her to the prom. They did know that her date was the one that had paid for the limousine. Shortly they stopped outside Danielle's home. She came running out before anyone had the chance to go get her. As soon as she got in, everyone demanded to know who her date was but she refused to tell, saying they would find out soon enough. Shania wondered momentarily if Danielle's date might be that Wells-Chandler that she had met on her trip to D.C. and rejected it as being too unlikely.

Danielle's friends were very surprised when the limousine pulled up outside the upscale brownstone next to Central Park. This was an extremely classy neighborhood and they were just a bit awe struck. Then Jonathon stepped into the limousine. Shania's and Pamela's eyes were about to pop out as they got their first, up close and personal, look at a real live Wells-Chandler. Kevin and Danny sat there stunned, their mouths hanging open. "Jonathon, these are my friends, Shania, Pamela, Kevin and Danny." Danielle introduced him. "This is my date, Jonathon Chandler-Wells." Danielle was also having a hard time not staring, Jonathon looked very good in his suit with it's distinct Renaissance flair to the cut of his suit jacket.

Jonathon smiled. "Shania, I believe we have already spoken on the phone. It is nice to meet you in person." He addressed the rest. "I'm glad to meet all of you." Pamela smiled shyly and glanced down. Both boys were totally speechless.

Shania continued to stare for a little longer then she shook herself and responded. "It . . . ah . . . it's nice to meet you . . . Jonathon." She was having trouble pulling herself together. He was so much more impressive in person than she had expected and the effect of his voice on her was also much stronger than it had been over the phone.

After a few minutes they began to talk and soon Jonathon had put them all at ease. The story of the charcoal grill caper caused a lot of amusement, especially when Danny reveled that something very similar had happened to him. When Danny complained about the time he had spent in the dog house as a result, Jonathon remarked with a chuckle, "You should try being in the dog house when you're a cat." This caused everyone to crack up just as the limo reached its destination.

Cindy still had another ten minutes at the ticket counter before she would be relieved. She was a little bit bored and getting anxious to get into the prom with her friends. Another group advanced. Tiredly she looked up and nearly swallowed her gum. Standing before her big as life was one of the Wells-Chandlers. And proudly holding his arm was DeeDee Duke. It took her several seconds to regain her composure and take the tickets Danielle was holding out to her. There had been a lot of rumors going around the school about DeeDee's trip to Washington D.C. three weeks ago, but no one had believed that she had really met one of them. Some had even claimed that she was just trying to get one up on Tracy Porter who really had met three of them in the hospital where she worked. Cindy's eyes misted over dreamily as she watched them enter the hall and thought that DeeDee was so damn lucky.

Danielle and Jonathon stood just inside the hall looking around at all the people when she heard Jonathon's name called. She looked over to see Tracy Porter and a boy she didn't recognize. It was the boy that had called out. The two approached and the boy remarked. "Jonathon, how is it going." He glanced at Danielle. "Is this the girl you met on the plane?"

Jonathon introduced Travis and Tracy to everyone. By now others were beginning to notice the new group and in particular Jonathon. The band was just starting a slow dance number and Jonathon took Danielle's hand. "Let's dance." He began pulling her out onto the danced floor. Danielle was soon swept up in the sensation of dancing in his strong embrace. The next dance was much faster and though unfamiliar with this type of dance, Jonathon gave it a try. A little bit of observation combined with his own natural grace soon had him fitting right into the general style. Travis, Tracy, Kevin, Shania, Danny and Pamela had all joined them on the dance floor by then. Travis and Tracy quickly become part of Danielle's circle. By the end of the second dance everyone was well aware of Jonathon's presence. He and Danielle caused quite a sensation. The next dance was a type of group line dance and Jonathon easily fit in with the group.

A half hour later Danielle's little group had gathered by the snack area and had drawn a bit of a crowd. Through the general emotional atmosphere, Jonathon began feeling the approach of a very strong _hate_ for several seconds before he spotted the small knot of people moving through the crowd toward him and Danielle. Jonathon then clearly felt the _hurt_ and _anger_ spring up in Danielle as she also became aware of their approach. There were two belligerent looking boys and a relatively pretty girl in the small group approaching them.

The boy in the lead stared at Danielle. "Who's the freak DeeDee." Then he taunted Jonathon. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

"Get lost Leonard." Danielle shot back. "I don't talk to worthless two timing creeps."

Leonard's face got red as the girl with him spoke up. "Forget her. It looks like she'll go out with just about anything." She grabbed Leonard's arm and tried to pull him away.

"You have no room to talk, Melanie!" Danielle responded with some heat. "Everyone knows that you're the sleaze that will do it with anything in pants."

Jonathon could feel the deep _hurt_ that Danielle's retort had caused in the girl Melanie. Obviously she had hit a very raw nerve. He gave Danielle's hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't." He said quietly with a barely perceptible shake of his head. Then louder he responded. "This is hardly the place to be engaging in old grudges. Let's set the old injuries aside for now and just enjoy ourselves."

The other boy spoke up. "Stay out of this freak. This is just among us humans." His eyes blazed with hatred.

"You'd better get out of here Ricky." Tracy implored. "You're not supposed to even be here. If the cops find out, the court will revoke your probation."

"Shut up B#!&*%. You say one word to the cops and, I swear, I'll smash your face." The angry boy identified as Ricky shouted at Tracy, his voice dripping venom.

Travis took a step forward, radiating _offended anger_, but Jonathon put out his free hand to stop him.

Jonathon had now pieced together a pretty good idea of the nature of the situation based on the names of those involved and the emotions of all those around him. Leonard was _hurt_ and _angry_ over loosing Danielle and was just striking out. He was also becoming acutely aware of his own peril. Melanie was _hurt_ and _confused_ and feeling _rejected_. He suspected that her reputation had been a real painful burden to her. Ricky was full of _rage_ and ready to strike out at anyone handy but he was also not particularly brave. Jonathon felt that he just had to concentrate on keeping this situation from getting out of hand. He had just spotted two teacher types approaching.

Jonathon drew himself up to his full impressive height. Concentrating on Ricky, he spoke in his most commanding voice. "We will not engage in a fight with you and, believe me, you **do not** want to get into it with me." He held up his free hand displaying his deadly claws. "If I were to get into a fight with you, there is a chance that I could lose control and seriously injure you." Jonathon stared hard at Ricky. "And you would not like that any more than I would." Then he smiled widely clearly displaying his fangs. "I am also aware that someone has already called the police and I doubt that you have too much time before they get here." Jonathon reached over and picked up a chicken strip from the snack table and tossed it into the air. In a movement too fast to follow he was suddenly holding five bite sized pieces of chicken. "You were smart enough to leave once before when my brother confronted you." He tossed one of the pieces each to Ricky and Leonard. "Be smart this time."

The tableau held for three tense seconds then Ricky's courage cracked and throwing the chicken piece at Jonathon's feet he beat a hasty retreat. Bereft of the emotional support of the larger boy Leonard backed off and retreated as well. As Melanie started to turn away, Jonathon gave Danielle's hand a quick squeeze then let go and reached out to stop her. "Melanie, stay. That boy doesn't care for you. He's just using you." Melanie looked back at them with a hint of tears shimmering in her eyes. "Stay with us for a while." Jonathon again took hold of Danielle's hand. "Danielle was only speaking out of hurt."

Seeing the hurt in Melanie's eyes and hearing the compassion in Jonathon's voice, Danielle suddenly felt ashamed of what she had said. "I'm sorry Melanie, I shouldn't have said that." She looked up at Jonathon and he smiled at her making her feel warm all over again. Then she looked back at her one time nemesis. "Please hang with us for a while."

Jonathon held out his other hand. "Anybody want a piece of chicken." The newly arrived teacher smiled in approval.

Danielle's group retired to a corner and consumed their snacks while they talked. Jonathon got a couple of requests to display his little trick with the chicken strip and obliged. Danielle was surprised to find that the more she and Melanie talked the more she liked her. They all learned that Melanie's reputation was mostly based on rumor and gossip. She had occasionally taken advantage of it but it had definitely been a double edged sword. She also admitted that she and Leonard had never really 'done it' together, though he had tried to push it that far. At one point Melanie asked if someone had really called the police on Ricky. Jonathon said that he had no idea but Ricky sure left in a hurry when he thought they had.

After a while Jonathon noticed another boy near by that had been watching Melanie for a while. He could sense genuine _affection_ from the boy and asked Danielle who he was. She knew his name was Scott Monroe but she didn't know much else about him. Jonathon invited the boy to join them and introduced him to Melanie. Melanie and Scott hung with their group and soon developed a mutual interest in each other. Later Danielle overheard Travis accusing Jonathon of being as much an incurable matchmaker as his big brother. Danielle found that aspect of him quite charming.

As the prom began to wind down Danielle suggested that they all go out to get something to eat. Jonathon checked the time and suggested that Danielle call her parents and let them know what they were planning. Danielle balked but under his gentle urging finally did it. During the call she let it slip that she was calling because Jonathon had insisted, unaware that she had just given a significant boost to her parent's opinion of him. They all piled into the limousine and Jonathon directed them to an all night Deli across from Central Park that was owned by a helper.

_**Continued in Part 6**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	6. A Summer Romance

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 6 : A Summer Romance**

It was the first week of June. Jonathon sat out in the audience and felt the pride bursting from those seated next to him. On one side of him sat Danielle's parents and on the other sat her grandparents. Up on the stage Danielle was accepting her high school diploma. He had been honored when she had invited him to attend. She had also invited him to celebrate with her family after the ceremony was over.

Danielle looked out at the place where her family sat as she held up her diploma. Her eyes came to rest on Jonathon and her smile widened.

Later as she sat with her family and Jonathon in the fine restaurant owned by Alexandra's father, they were talking about their plans for the future. Danielle was leaning toward accounting or business but wasn't sure yet. Jonathon would be the first Chandler-Wells male to attend college and was considering going for some type of engineering degree. Just a few days ago with Danielle's encouragement Jonathon had signed up to get his G.E.D. Next week he was scheduled to take the tests. No one educated in the tunnels had ever failed those tests but that didn't keep him from feeling a bit nervous about it.

After a while Danielle noticed that Jonathon looked a bit disturbed. "What's wrong, Jonathon?" She asked.

"I'm not sure but the entire staff here seems to be very upset about something." He raised his hand and got the attention of one of the waiters. When the waiter approached Jonathon spoke. "I just noticed that everyone appears to be upset. Is there something wrong."

"You mean you haven't heard?" The waiter shook his head. "There has been an assassination attempt. Three Secret Service agents were killed and the First Lady was hit."

"When did it happen?" Danielle's father asked. "How bad was the First Lady hurt?"

"It happened about an hour and a half ago." He looked around. "They took Mrs. Carlton to the hospital. That's all we know so far." He wrung his hands. "This is terrible."

Danielle, who had been riding an emotional high over her graduation, felt some of the wind go out of her sails at this news. Jonathon reacted to the shift of her emotions and took her hand giving it a squeeze. The rest of the dinner was a bit more somber than before. When deserts came out, Alexandra's father came over to see them. He informed them that it had been announced that the First Lady's injury had been serious but she and her baby were both alive and doing well. He was unable to tell them if a certain Secret Service agent had been among the casualties. That was when Danielle learned that Jonathon's sister Karen was sweet on one of the agents guarding the President.

~ ( BatB ) ~

A week and a half after graduation Danielle was sitting on her bed, tracks of tears still visible on her cheeks, her emotions in turmoil. How could she face Jonathon feeling the way she did. Pamela and Shania sat on either side of her trying to comfort her. She had probably already known about it intellectually but yesterday something Jonathon had said had finally brought it home to her that he could really feel all of her emotions. The realization had hit her in the gut, creeping her out, then the thought of him reading her every emotion without her being aware of it had horrified her and left her feeling so invaded. She had looked up at him and seen his reaction, the surprise, the hurt, to her emotions and had run out of the little deli weeping.

Once she had gotten home she had called her friends. When she told them what had happened they had sympathized. Their support and friendship had helped. She didn't want to hurt Jonathon but she didn't like that he could read her mind. Pamela was the one that pointed out that he didn't really know what she was thinking. He only knew how she felt about it. That still didn't make her feel less invaded.

The doorbell rang and a few minutes later her mother brought Alexandra into her room. With one quick look at the three girls, she pulled up a chair, sat down and asked what had happened. Haltingly Danielle told her about the disastrous end to her lunch date with Jonathon. Alexandra appeared to relax a bit and took her hand.

"I'm afraid that is one part of being with a Chandler-Wells that we all must deal with if we want to have a relationship with one of them. In some ways you have it easier than some of us did. You don't have to contend with the bond . . . at least not yet." She patted Danielle's hand and smiled.

"The bond?" Danielle asked.

"Didn't you read Brigit O'Donnell's book about Vincent and Catherine?" Alexandra asked, surprised.

Realization dawned in all three of the girls at the same time. "You . . . and Alexander?"

"That's right twenty four hours a day, any place, at anytime, including right now, this instant in this room, Alexander always knows exactly what I'm feeling. With you it's only when you're in the same room with Jonathon." Alexandra cocked her head a half smile on her face.

"But . . . but how do you deal with the invasion, the lack of privacy." Pamela asked her before Danielle could.

Alexandra's smile quirked and there was a merry twinkle in her eyes. "Privacy is highly over rated my dear. I'm sure you have noticed Jonathon's claws." All three girls nodded wide eyed. "Think of what those could do to you without him even noticing what was happening."

Danielle was horrified by the realization of what she had implied yet until now she had never thought about it.

Alexandra continued. "Because of Jonathon's gift he could never do that to you. The instant he caused you pain or fear, he would know it and stop whatever it was that was causing you distress. Because he cares for you he could never do anything that would harm you. Also there is something very comforting in knowing that he knows when you need him and will do what ever it takes to make you happy. Keep in mind that his emotions are directly influenced by your emotions. In fact your emotions feel just the same to him as his own emotions." Her eyes really began to sparkle as her smile turned into a big grin. "And you haven't lived until you've made love with a man that can sense your every mood and knows exactly what makes you feel good. And since he feels exactly what you feel, he does what you like most. The results are indescribable."

By now Danielle was giggling and blushing in embarrassment along with her friends.

Alexandra became more serious. "This bond I have with Alexander is a wonderful blessing and I wouldn't want to be without it, however, I will admit that sometimes it can be difficult. You can not lie to each other. In time, if you two stay together, you will learn to control your emotions, some what, but you can never give off false emotions. Also you must know that though your emotions will always be genuine they can still be misleading. For instance he will know that you are creeped out and horrified by a realization . . ." Alexandra paused and Danielle realized how accurately she had described her emotions from earlier today. ". . . but he doesn't know the thoughts behind the emotions. He believes that it was something about his physical appearance that triggered those feelings." Alexandra watched Danielle, gauging her reactions.

Danielle was now horrified over what Jonathon had thought. She had never meant to hurt him like that. Tears began to well up as she gazed back at Alexandra. "Oh Alexandra, this is terrible . . . But what can I do?"

"Talk to him. He knows how you feel, tell him what you're thinking. Be honest with him, he will know. Work it out. Remember that he genuinely cares about you and, like anyone that loves you, he wants you to be happy because it makes him happy. Only with him the connection is more immediate, more intimate, more personal . . . for both of you. And if you two really do fall totally head over heels in love, believe me you will bless this gift of his every day of your life together. Even if it does make it impossible to keep secrets from him, or play poker with him."

They spent a few more hours talking about the Chandler-Wells empathic gift and some of Alexandra's more interesting, and occasionally amusing or embarrassing, encounters with it. By the time Alexandra left, Danielle was determined to see Jonathon tomorrow and try to work it out with him. At least she could set his mind at ease about the source of her reaction.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle had to look away from his piercing golden eyes. This was much harder than she had expected. She was acutely aware that Jonathon was feeling her every emotion and, at this moment, nervousness and embarrassment were paramount. In fact she had never been so totally conscious of her own emotional state before in her young life and the wildly erratic way that it swung from one extreme to another left her feeling appalled at what Jonathon must think of her.

Finally as a pure act of will she began telling him what had happened at yesterday's lunch. Jonathon listened quietly as she unburdened herself. He never showed any sign of judgment. At one point when it got particularly difficult, he reached out and gently took her hand. As he stroked her hand with the back of his soft fur covered hand she regained her composure and continued to talk. Finally she ran down and waited for his response. Irrationally, because he was using the back of his hand, she now found herself momentarily engrossed in the fact that his palms and finger tips were devoid of fur. She had never noticed that before.

She was brought back from her reverie by his quiet chuckle as he reversed his hand and laid it over hers. "You never noticed my palms before?" She looked at him in surprise. "I've been an empath all my life and believe me your emotions are not all that different than anybody else's." He pulled her hand up and, gazing directly into her eyes, lightly kissed the back of it, sending a delightful shiver up her spine. "By the way you just reacted, I know that you must like me. Otherwise you would have had a much different reaction." He smiled just enough to expose the tips of his fangs. "I can't help what I am but I try not to deceive anyone. I guess it never occurred to me that you didn't know." He looked down at their clasped hands then back up into her eyes. "I really like you Danielle, a lot, and I never wanted to hurt you. To me this gift was simply a way to show me the most effective ways to make you happy. It lets me know when I'm treating you the way you want to be treated. I kissed your hand that way because I can feel how much you like it."

Danielle found his honest openness impossible to resist. "I guess somewhere inside I already knew but until yesterday it had not really hit home and I couldn't handle it. I've always been a very private person. Unlike most of my friends, I've never kept a diary for fear that someone might find and read it." She shrugged. "Even now it bothers me, knowing you are feeling my emotions."

"I know." He smiled at her. "I can feel your struggle and I respect it. For my part I will try to be more open with you about what I'm sensing. I am here for you and if you can allow it, I still would like going out with you."

~ ( BatB ) ~

Jonathon and Danielle stood with the crowd in Battery Park, watching the Forth of July fireworks display over the Statue of Liberty. Danielle had known Jonathon for almost two months now. She looked over into his leonine face and realized that she found nothing unusual in his appearance anymore. He looked down into her eyes and she felt that warm tingly feeling she always got when he looked at her like that.

"What?" He asked with a smile.

"I was just thinking how hansom you look." She responded.

"Does that mean you might keep me around for a while?" His smile widened.

"At least for another month, maybe." She teased back.

For a moment they stared into each others eyes, then a particularly loud and spectacular burst drew their attention back to the sky and drew a soft exclamation of awe from the crowd around them. Danielle felt Jonathon reach out and put his arm around her waist and a shiver rain up her spine. She looked up to see his smile widen at her reaction causing her to blush. She was still trying to get used to the idea that he could feel her every emotion when she was near him but it no longer caused her distress. The fact that he never tried to hide his ability helped her come to terms with it. Sometimes she wondered what it was like to have an actual long distance two way bond like Alexandra and Alexander. She was just thankful she didn't have to deal with that yet. She did occasionally wonder what that must be like though.

After a few moments he spoke. "I have always loved fireworks." He looked down at her. "But tonight I find that the beauty of your emotional response to them is far more beautiful to me and tends to greatly enhance the already spectacular display. That is the best part of tonight." Suddenly she felt a tingly warmth spread through her at his words and his smile widened even more.

The fireworks display ended and the crowd began to disburse. Looking around, Danielle spotted someone pointing a camera at them. Over the last few weeks she had noticed that it seemed to happen everywhere they went and sometimes she would see herself on the evening news. This was an invasion of privacy that she definitely disliked. It was much more pervasive and invasive than being the popular girl in school had been.

Jonathon stopped walking and tightened his hold. "What's got you so annoyed?"

She looked up into his eyes. "It's nothing. Just another reporter is all." She sighed.

"Well at least be thankful we don't have it near as bad as Alexander and Alexandra." He chuckled as the couple in question walked up to them. They were joined a few seconds later by Travis and Tracy. "The reporters are beginning to circle." Jonathon remarked then he grinned wickedly. "What do you say we change partners and split up to confuse them, then we can meet back up at Kalyane's place in about a half-hour."

They agreed and an hour later they were sitting in Kalyane's Ice Cream Parlor just off of Central Park with no reporters in sight, enjoying their ice cream and laughing about the merry chase they had led the reporters on.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle grabbed a hand full of popcorn, popping it into her mouth, as she stared at the video screen. She was over at Jonathon's brownstone and they were watching the live broadcast from the Moon. Most of Jonathon's family was there, with the exception of Victoria who was over at a friend's house. It had taken time but she had finally reached a point where she was actually comfortable sitting in a room full of empaths. The fact that they were always honest about their ability and that they really cared about her, helped a lot.

On the video they were watching the celebration of the official completion of the first Moon Colony. Next week they would begin work on the first lunar space port. Actual construction on the ten year project wouldn't begin for another five years. Jonathon was so mesmerized he missed the popcorn bowl when he reached for it. He had been fascinated by everything to do with space since he visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum last Spring.

In a fit of playfulness Danielle tossed a piece of popcorn at him bouncing it off the side of his head. He gave her a long hard gaze then tossed a piece at her. She tossed another piece at him. Then they were both hit from behind by pieces of popcorn as William uttered something to the effect of, "Children behave." Jonathon and Danielle both returned fire. Then it escalated. Within ten minutes it had degenerated into a massive popcorn fight involving everyone in the parlor.

Afterward everyone involved in the original donnybrook took part in the cleanup but it still took two hours to restore the room to its normal neat order. Between the jokes and funny stories, the cleanup ended up being as much fun as making the mess had been. Danielle learned about some of the more embarrassing consequences of being an empath or living among empaths. A tale about Patricia being stuck in the laboratory with a bunch of uptight researchers late one night when William had been having a particularly erotic dream, had her laughing so hard that it had her sides hurting and left her in tears.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Throughout the Summer things went fairly smoothly for the Chandler-Wells clan. There was the occasional kook or nut that tried to cause problems for various publicly known members of the Chandler-Wells family and Danielle came in for her share of it but they were little more than a minor annoyance. Jonathon was always there for her when things like that happened. For the most part though the City of New York had taken them into their hearts. Danielle loved spending time with Jonathon and lately they spent a lot of time together. All the while they kept getting closer. Though the media took notice of the Jonathon and Danielle relationship, coverage was relatively light. The Alex-n-Alex story and the First Lady's pregnancy got far more coverage. The biggest story was still the President's Global War on Terror.

It was late evening about a week into August and Danielle and Jonathon were walking together in Central Park. His strength and compassion were always there for her to lean on when she needed it. Today she felt closer to him than ever before. She gazed up at his unique profile. She felt her heart swell with something new that had been growing in her recently. This new feeling was far deeper than what she had ever felt before. She was falling in love.

Jonathon looked over at her and their eyes met. "I'm falling in love with you, too." He said softly.

_**Continued in Part 7**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	7. A Wedding Adventure

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 7 : A Wedding Adventure**

It was the middle of August and most of Jonathon's family was involved in wedding planning. Danielle had become very fond of Norman since meeting him last spring at the Air and Space Museum and now she visited Alexandra's grandfather quite frequently. He was relating another story about his early years with his second wife, Beverly, when he stopped talking. His eyes glazed over, then he slumped down and slid out of his chair. Danielle became frantic when she was unable to rouse him. She wasted precious time in confused panic until she finally got herself enough under control and called 9-1-1.

She was still barely controlling her panic when the ambulance arrived. She insisted on riding to the hospital with him. While on the way she thought she should be calling Alexandra and Alexandra's father. After calling them she called Jonathon. She really needed to hear his voice. She stayed right outside the emergency room until the rest of his family arrived. Jonathon and Alexander arrived together. Each of them embraced their respective mates and offered comfort. Being held in Jonathon's strong arms as she cried from worry was so soothing. He always knew the right things to do and say to relieve her sorrow and make her feel better. Soon Danielle had regained her equilibrium.

Doctor Harold Peterson entered the waiting room and announced that Norman was alive and recovering. Danielle's joy at the news was as high as her fear and sorrow had been low. Again being held in Jonathon's arms as she cried in relief was so soothing. He always knew the right things to do and say to enhance her joy. She knew it was because of his empathic gift that he always knew what she needed and that made her feel safe with him, protected.

Doctor Peterson took them all into Norman's room to see him. Alexandra ran up and took his hand, tears in her eyes. "Oh, God, Grandfather, I was so afraid I was going to lose you."

"Nonsense girl." His voice was weak and whispery but there was still strength and determination buried in its tone. There is no way I'm going anywhere until I've seen you safely married off to someone strong enough to protect you." He shifted his gaze to Alexander. "You hear me son. I'm placing her welfare in your hands. And I'm hanging around to see to it that you do right by her."

Alexander touched his frail shoulder. "I won't let you down sir." He placed the other arm around Alexandra's waist.

Doctor Peterson spoke up. "What Norman had was a minor stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel. I've put him on a blood thinner to forestall another stroke." He touched his patient's other shoulder. "Norman, I will need to see you periodically to monitor the stroke site, but if you're careful, and take it easy, you just might still outlive us all."

Norman looked over at Doctor Peterson. "No need to blow sunshine up my butt son, I know I'm in bad shape. All I ask is that you keep me going long enough to see her wedding."

Doctor Peterson looked very indignant. "I beg your pardon, I do not blow sunshine on other people's anatomy." He grinned and even Alexandra giggled. "Though your chances of another stroke are not insignificant, you still have a few good years left in you. The blood thinner I'm putting you on will help insure that you get them. I fully expect Alex-n-Alex to present you with great grandchildren before you manage to escape this dreary old world." Harold studied the overhead displays for a second. "Now you get some rest cause tomorrow I intend to kick you out of here to make room for people who are sick."

He started toward the door. "You people don't keep him up partying too late."

~ ( BatB ) ~

From her seat Danielle looked out over the pond, taking in the view then she shifted her gaze down and closer. Her eyes were assaulted by a riot of red, yellow and white. The stage floor was covered in a carpet of red rose petals and surrounded by dozens of white candles with their flickering yellow flames. The faintest of breezes carried the rose perfume without disturbing the red carpet that produced it.

She turned her head to look at Norman sitting next to her. Though not related, Danielle had developed a strong affection for Alexandra's elderly grandfather. Then she looked past him at Jonathon on his other side. Her gaze returned to Norman. Since his stroke he was pretty much restricted to the wheelchair he now sat in but true to his word he had lasted long enough to see Alexandra's wedding. Beyond Jonathon sat most of Alexandra's family. Only her father and mother were missing. Beyond them was Jonathon's family with the exception of Alexander who was currently standing impatiently at the front of the stage. Danielle looked back over her shoulder to see President Carlton and his family sitting directly behind her.

As she was scanning the crowd she tried to identify all the leonine males that she spotted. All three of Charles' sons, Peter, William and Joseph were together in the front row with their wives. She was reminded of the media frenzy caused by the discovery that the reclusive author of the most popular series of children's books since Dr Seuss was actually Peter Chandler-Wells. She and her friend Shania had loved those books when they had been growing up. Shania still had her old set that she kept in a special case. Often when friends slept over, Shania would pull them out and they would giggle over the stories and pictures.

Behind them she saw Jacob and his two sons, Devin and Michael along with their spouses. Behind them she saw all three of Devin's sons, Daniel, Thomas and Paul. All told, including the groom, there appeared to be about a dozen of them here.

She spotted Alexandra's mother coming down the aisle towards them. It was about to begin.

For all its short simplicity the wedding was a beautiful and moving event. This was the first time she had ever actually heard a Chandler-Wells roar. Though she had been expecting it, Alexander's roar at the end of the ceremony had surprised her with the strength and emotional power of it. There was something so triumphantly joyful about it. The cheering of the crowd had been such a natural response. She gazed speculatively over at Jonathon trying to imagine him roaring like that. The ceremony was over and the spectators began filtering out of the Delacorte Theatre, heading to the reception area.

After the majority of the crowd had cleared out heading for the open field on the north east side of the Turtle Pond, Jonathon, Norman and Danielle started to head over as well. Jonathon and Danielle had designated themselves official guardians and general gophers for Norman during the wedding. Though he was doing much better since the stroke he still could not stand on his own. Doctor Peterson was however cautiously optimistic that Norman would regain some use of his legs. After Norman's last doctor visit three days ago, Alexandra had told Danielle that the doctor was pleased by his progress.

Halfway to the reception area they encountered Travis and Tracy, who immediately fell in with them as they continued on to the reception. The cutting of the cake went without incident and the bride and groom fed each other a bite without any mess. Travis thought it was disappointing that they hadn't taken advantage of the situation for a little messy fun.

Then they went over to congratulate the bride and groom. They all expressed their congratulations and best wishes then moved on out into the field to mingle with the crowd. There were picnic style tables scattered strategically around the field. Several food pavilions, each sporting a different style of food, set out around the edge of the cordoned off area that had been set aside for the reception. The field was dotted with important dignitaries from many countries. Everyone with enough clout or influence had tried to get invited to this event. This had turned into much more than a wedding. It had become a public affirmation of the Wells-Chandler's right to exist as free humans. Everywhere you looked you saw dark suited Secret Service agents milling around, scanning the crowd or the roped off boundaries. Jonathon told Danielle, with a chuckle, that he had heard William comment that nearly ten percent of the wedding attendees were Secret Service Agents. Danielle didn't doubt it.

As they wandered the reception, Danielle was amazed by all the important personalities they encountered. At one point Jonathon and Danielle found themselves talking with the Prime Minister of Great Brittan, of all people. As they were talking, Danielle became aware of a strange faraway look on Jonathon's face. He looked over towards the area where the bride and groom had been standing. "Something's wrong." He said quietly. Danielle looked over at the large group of milling people and became aware of a disturbance among them. She was surprised to see Alexander burst from the group moving very fast and carrying someone. Immediately behind him emerged a knot of Secret Service agents as well as President Carlton and Doctor Peterson. They were apparently running as hard as they could, trying to keep up with Alexander. His new bride, Alexandra, brought up the rear trying very hard not to fall too far behind.

They ran past William who called something out then turned and ran towards the north side of the reception area where the children were being entertained. What was happening? Soon Norman, Tracy, Travis and the Prime Minister were all asking that very question.

Jonathon touched Norman's shoulder as his gaze swept the rest of them. "You stay here. I'll go find out." He took off running on an intercept course toward William. Danielle knew that Jonathon was quick but she was astounded at how fast he was moving now. He caught up with William at the children's area and there was a quick conversation. Soon Jonathon was heading back at a slightly slower pace. Just before he got back, Danielle saw William emerge from the children's area with two young children and two Secret Service agents in tow.

Jonathon arrived, barely breathing hard from his run. "First Lady, Helen, just went into labor." He glanced over at the area of the theatre where the running knot of people had disappeared. "There is some type of problem and they are rushing her to the hospital." He shook his head. "That's all Father knew. He's seeing to it that the President's children get to the hospital so they can be with their parents."

The Prime Minister's wife expressed her dismay both for The First Lady and for the new bride whose wedding had just been disrupted. They were interrupted by the wail of the siren as they saw, through the trees, the flashing lights of the ambulance pull away from the theatre.

A few seconds later Jonathon's new phone signaled. He was the first, and currently only, of the leonine males to get his own personal cellular phone. Danielle watched as he answered it.

"Hello?" . . .

"Alexandra, what's happening?" . . .

"Uh, huh." . . .

"Oh, no!" . . .

"I hope so." . . .

"Yes." . . .

"I'll take care of it." . . .

"OK." . . .

He disconnected. Danielle jumped in first, just half a beat ahead of the Prime Minister. "Well, what did she say?" They all stared at Jonathon curiously.

Jonathon's gaze swept them all then he spoke. "The First Lady's water broke and she went into labor while talking to Alexandra and Alexander. There was blood in the water and Alexander sensed that the baby was in distress. Doctor Peterson wanted to get her to the hospital as fast as possible. Alexander and President Carlton both rode in the ambulance with the First Lady. Alexandra is going to ride there with Father and the President's children. She said that she would call when she had more news." He addressed the Prime Minister and his wife. "If you will excuse me Sir, Madam, I have to see to the rest of the guests and pass the news on to the rest of the families."

"Of course, I understand completely, and thank you for letting us know what was happening."

Danielle and Jonathon with Norman headed across the field followed by Travis and Tracy. Jonathon spread the news about what had happened, dispelling some pretty strange rumors that had already begun to circulate. Though the reporters present were banned from interviewing the guests, that didn't prevent them from listening to all the talk.

A little more than a half hour later, Jonathon got another call from Alexandra. After giving him her news Jonathon let her talk to her grandfather for a while. Jonathon, Norman and Danielle then began spreading the word that the President's new son had been born in the ambulance. Mother and child were both alive and well at St. Vincent Hospital. There had been some complications but they had been dealt with and everyone was doing fine. Travis and Tracy also helped to spread the news.

A short time later they somehow ended up talking to the English Prime Minister again. The conversation revolved around the First family for a while then moved on to the story about Tracy's first encounter with Alexander and the time she met his family and the First Family in the hospital right after the U.N. incident. Norman told them about his first and second encounters with the Chandler-Wells family which elicited a few laughs. Even the events at Danielle's senior prom got dragged into the conversation. The chicken strip threat got an admiring laugh from the Prime Minister.

Danielle glanced over and saw one of the news crews getting footage of her little group with the Prime Minister. She suddenly couldn't help feeling like this whole thing had become so surreal. She was holding hands with an urban legend come to life and shooting the breeze with the Prime Minister of Great Brittan while discussing the affairs of the President's family from a personal knowledge standpoint. Then the next minute she was discussing her senior prom with that same distinguished personality. She had even celebrated her eighteenth birthday by having lunch with the First Family in the Whitehouse. Her whole life for the past six months seemed like an absurd impossible fantasy.

Jonathon looked at her for a few seconds then he asked her what it was that she was thinking about that had produced such a unique and strange set of emotions. She glanced around at those there with her then, with an embarrassed shrug, she told them about the realizations that had just hit her. Jonathon, Travis, The Prime Minister, and his wife all laughed.

Tracy was nodding her head in agreement as she spoke up. "It's funny, I was feeling the very same way just before all the excitement began."

The Prime Minister then responded. "It might surprise you young ladies but I was having the same feeling about being here and talking to young Jonathon. Less than a year ago I would have laughed at anyone that tried to convince me of his existence and now I'm standing here in New York's Central Park engaging him in friendly conversation about his adventures at his girlfriend's senior prom." He chuckled. "I have often heard that truth is stranger than fiction. Now here I am confronted by the reality of that phrase."

Norman spoke up at this point. "My father once told me that no matter what your age or station in this world, life will always throw you a curve ball when you're least expecting it and all you can do is enjoy the adventure."

The conversation then moved on to Jonathon's gift. They talked about what it was like to be an empath and what it was like knowing an empath. Danielle even talked about her early difficulties with it.

A short time later Peter and Joseph showed up with two video monitors that they set up at each end of the food pavilions. Nearly everyone was watching when they broadcast the pictures of Alexander and Alexandra in the waiting room of the hospital. They could all see the red stain at the bottom of Alexandra's wedding dress. There was also a short video where Alexander stood up and stepped forward addressing the camera. "Mrs. Carlton and her new son are both doing just fine. If you want any more information, I'm sure President Carlton will issue a press release as soon as he gets a chance." Then the image jostled and cut off. The Prime Minister's wife expressed dismay at the visible damage to the dress.

Jonathon reassured her. "That dress is over a hundred years old and was originally worn by Catherine Chandler's mother. It has been used in over a dozen weddings and it has survived worse disasters than a little stain at the bottom. You can be sure that the next time it is hauled out of storage it will look just as good as it did when this wedding started. It is a point of honor in my family that it will be completely restored before it is put back into storage."

The Prime Minister and his wife moved off into the remaining crowd. Alexandra's parents took Norman home. Danielle and Jonathon stayed with the rest of his family through the remainder of the reception. Around the time it was starting to break up William called to give them the latest news of the birth and of a rather remarkable employment offer Alexander had received. It seemed that the Secret Service wanted him to come to work for them in the Presidential security division. He also told them that Alex-n-Alex, even he was using that reference now, had already left on their honeymoon.

~ ( BatB ) ~

On the way to Danielle's home, Jonathon stopped off at a flower shop. He arranged to have flowers and a card sent to the first lady from him and Danielle. She thought it was very nice of him though she figured it would probably get lost in the deluge of flowers the First Lady would probably be getting. After that they stopped at a little ice cream shop for a short while.

By the time Jonathon got Danielle home, her parents had already seen the news, including the footage of her chatting with the Prime Minister. She brought them up to date on everything that had happened.

"So," Her mother asked, "Did they tell you where they were going for their honeymoon?"

Jonathon spoke up. "Alexander told me that they were going to spend their first night at the Chandler-Wells lake house then they are going to fly to Hawaii by private plane. We have found that one of the difficulties of having claws, is getting on public aircraft." He shrugged. "As my father says every rose has its thorns."

Jonathon wished them a good night and left. Danielle stayed up late just thinking about the most unusual day she had been through. It was certainly one she would long remember.

_**Continued in Part 8**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	8. College Life Begins

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 8 : College Life Begins**

Danielle, Pamela, Shania, Tracy and Melanie were clustered around the table, their personal computers lined up, working out their curriculum for their first semester at New York City Community College. Though independent, it was located on a corner of the NYU campus. Melanie crowed in triumph. "Here's one! English Lit. 101, TT 9:05am. Only half full. I think everyone's got that slot free, right?" She was answered with a chorus of affirmative responses.

Pamela looked up from her computer and asked. "Who's the prof?"

"Jeannie Logan." Melanie replied.

". . . Logan." Danielle remarked "My brother had her and said she was really pretty good."

"Alright, EL101.T09 it is." Responded Pamela.

There was a flurry of activity on the five computers followed by a chorus of 'Got it's'. Then they compared schedules.

Danielle continued to make entries on her computer. "What are you entering now?" Shania asked Danielle.

"Just sending a message to Jonathon." Danielle shrugged. "I was telling him which classes I was taking."

"Is that why you were so set on the M10 section of Psych? That what He's taking?" Melanie asked grinning.

"Is there a better reason?" Danielle asked haughtily as her face turned red. Then her frown cracked and they all broke into giggles. At that point a message popped up on her screen. "I'm free - got it . . . J" Danielle clapped her hands. "That's three we have together. My schedule's full. I'm done."

"Which three?" Shania asked.

"Psych, Lit and History." Danielle answered.

"I wish he was in Sociology with us." Remarked Melanie. "I bet his point of view would be interesting. What about Biology? Isn't he going to take that with you?"

"Naw, he's taking physics and geometry this semester." Danielle responded. "He plans to take bio next semester."

"Without you there to protect him from the bio prof?" Tracy laughed. "He'll be tested to within an inch of his life."

"This'll be one wild year." Pamela added then chuckled. "Think the campus can survive the five of us at the same time?"

~ o ~

As Jonathon shut down his brand new personal computer, William walked up, his face beaming with pride. "I never thought I would live to see a son of mine become the first Chandler-Wells male to actually attend college. Have you gotten your class schedule yet?" He asked.

"Just finished." Jonathon replied. "I just hope my differences don't cause problems. This won't be like the tunnels where everyone already knows me or the trip to Washington where the contact was short lived and very limited." He looked up at his father. "This will be in close quarters seven days every week for a third of the year with people that don't know me."

"You'll do fine son. I know you." William placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle could see the nervousness in Jonathon's eyes and in the way he clutched at the questionnaire. This was the last hurtle for him. The psychological assessment had been a requirement for college entry ever since the rash of college shooting sprees back in the '20s. The problem was that the assessment could be so arbitrarily subjective. If the campus psychologist took a disliking to him his college hopes would evaporate. Danielle had already been through it yesterday and, for someone as intensely private as she was, it had not been fun. Today she was simply here to lend moral support. Jonathon's name was called and she sent him into the office with a kiss for good luck.

For the next hour Danielle worried and fidgeted. What if the psychologist didn't like him or, worse, what if he was afraid of Jonathon? She had only been in there for thirty-five minutes of hell. What was happening in there? She was startled out of her reverie by the distinct sound of laughter coming from inside. Ten minutes later Jonathon came out. She jumped up out of her seat, ready to rush to comfort him if needed. The psychologist was actually smiling. Jonathon was smiling! This was so unexpected. From every thing she had heard from her friends, and what she had experienced for herself, this was unheard of.

Danielle was bursting with curiosity as they headed out of the building. Halfway across the campus she stopped and placed her hand on his chest as she stared into his eyes. "I can't stand it. I have to know. What did you talk about in there?"

"You." Jonathon replied, a glitter of amusement in his eyes.

"What?!" Danielle practically shouted.

"In a roundabout way." He clarified with a laugh. "Actually we talked mostly about what it was like being an empath." He kissed her hand. "There was some talk about how it affects my relationships with others. That led to being an empath dating an intensely private girlfriend."

She smacked him on his chest. "And what exactly did you tell him about it?" She demanded to know.

"I told him I get smacked a lot." He replied grinning at her as she smacked his chest again.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was Friday and their first day at college but there were no classes today. Danielle, Jonathon and their friends were here for freshmen orientation. As they were approaching the campus auditorium Danielle was intently studying her map of the campus. Jonathon was studying Danielle. Melanie and Pamela both started laughing at the same time, then Tracy, Kevin and Scott started to crack up. Danielle and Jonathon both looked over at their friends curiously as they all came to a halt.

That's when Shania looked up and pointed at the auditorium. "Ooohh, Nooo." and also began to laugh.

Jonathon and Danielle looked up at where she was pointing. Above the entrance was stretched a large banner. Across the top of it were the words, "New York City Community College". Across the bottom were the words, "The fighting Lions". In the center of the banner was a cartoon representation that looked, more than anything, like Jonathon's father. Jonathon brought his hand to his face and shook his head. "That's all I need."

"I had completely forgotten about that." Shania remarked. "They changed the mascot to that back in . . ." She thought for a second. "2019, I think. They held a contest and the winning drawing was done by Lawrence . . . Ah . . . Lawrence Gains."

Jonathon shook his head. "Uncle Lawrence strikes again." He groaned.

"Huh?" Half of the group chorused at once.

"Linda's brother. He's also the one that came up with the term 'Broadway Leo' back in '41." Jonathon informed them.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The following Monday Danielle arrived late on campus for her first day of classes. She didn't have a class during the first period on Mondays and Wednesdays so she had decided to sleep in late. She spotted Jonathon in the commons and headed towards him. The rest of her friends were nowhere around. "So, how was your first class?" She asked as she approached.

"Don't know. No prof." He responded. "There was a note on the front board. It said that the professor was away on a family emergency and would be back next Monday. The class is supposed to read the first chapter in our book and be ready for a quiz on it next Monday." He shrugged. "I just sat out here and read the chapter. Pretty basic stuff." He took her hand and they headed off together to their psychology class.

When they arrived at the classroom she spotted the rest of her friends already in their seats. Danielle picked a seat with her friends. Jonathon took the seat next to her. He had already confided to her earlier that he did not even need to be in this class. The psychology professor had told him, at his psych evaluation, that, because of his empathic gift, he already knew more about human psychology than most practicing psychologists. As far as the professor was concerned, he already had full credit for the class whether he attended or not. Jonathon had come to class with her anyway.

The professor started class out by asking questions of the class to elicit their opinions. Very soon the entire class was involved in a very lively discussion. Jonathon became deeply involved in the debate. Danielle was not shy about putting in her two cents worth and she didn't always agree with Jonathon. She soon realized that this professor preferred this type of class discussion. Despite her earlier impressions from her psych evaluation, she actually enjoyed the class and the professor.

~ o ~

Danielle's only other Monday - Wednesday class was Sociology. Melanie, Tracy and Scott were also in that class with her. Jonathon went off to his Geometry class. Most of the students were commenting on the fact that there was supposed to be a Wells-Chandler on the campus. Their professor, a rather elderly looking man, used that as a starting point to get all of them into an animated discussion about the effects the Wells-Chandlers would have on contemporary society. A lot of interesting and divergent opinions were expressed in that class. Just over half the class thought that the overall effects would be generally positive; A very small minority thought that there would be problems down the road as they became more numerous; The rest of the class weren't sure what the end results would be. Danielle, Melanie and Tracy really got deeply into the discussion with the class without ever letting on that they knew Jonathon. Danielle got the distinct impression that the professor was leaning towards the positive side of the question. Scott, being more of a quiet type, mostly just listened to the others.

After class Danielle met up with Jonathan and asked how his class went. Jonathon told her that it turned out that the geometry professor was a friend of the family. At one point he used the term 'helper' which apparently meant something to him but was not meaningful to anyone else, though she thought she caught a hint of something in Travis' expression. Melanie talked at length about the discussion that had developed in the sociology class. Jonathon found it very interesting.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The first class on Tuesday was English Literature. All of Danielle' friends were in that class. The professor, a female in her mid twenties, barely glanced at the room full of students, there were forty-two, as she entered the classroom. She handed a stack of papers to the front row students, instructing them to pass them back. Then she asked for each student to state their name and tell the class what was their favorite piece of literature and why. When Jonathon identified himself, her head snapped up and she realized for the first time that he was there in her class. Danielle and her friends watched in amusement as she reacted very strongly to Jonathon's voice.

None of Danielle's friends had class during the second class period so they all sat out in the commons talking. "Did you see the way Professor Logan reacted to Jonathon's voice?" Shania giggled. "I mean she literally swooned whenever he opened his mouth."

Melanie grinned, her eyes sparkled with barely suppressed humor. "I swear, I thought she was going to pass out right there in class."

"She's not the only one." Shania jumped in. "Nearly every other girl in that class had the same reaction." She faced the source of the phenomenon who was now blushing and gave him an appraising look. "That's a pretty potent weapon you have there. One word and you have every girl within earshot at your feet." Jonathon turned even redder.

Danielle placed her arm possessively around Jonathon. "Well they may be interested but he goes with me."

Third period arrived and Danielle and Pamela had to head to Biology class. Shania and Tracy had English Composition. Jonathon and Melanie didn't have a third period class. Danielle told Melanie to keep Jonathon out of trouble while she was in class. As she headed for Biology, Danielle couldn't help being amused at how much her feelings about Melanie had changed over the last four months. She was actually trusting Melanie with her boyfriend and had no qualms about it.

Danielle took an immediate liking to her biology professor who was in her mid thirties and seemed to have a knack for connecting with her students. The first chapter was about genetics and how the various species relate to each other genetically. Then they went on to how that effects which species can interbreed. Naturally this brought up the subject of the Wells-Chandler anomaly. Danielle was amused at how much Jonathon's family kept being dragged into class discussions.

After class Danielle met up with Jonathon and Melanie in the library. "How did the bio class go?" Jonathon asked.

"My teacher is really pretty good. I like her." Danielle smiled. "I think she would like to get her hands on you for a thorough examination though."

Melanie swept Jonathon with an appraising look and grinned. "Who wouldn't?" Then she laughed. "Two different girls cast their eyes on him here in the library earlier but I kept him out of trouble for you." They headed off to their next class.

~ o ~

Danielle was really looking forward to American History class. She and Jonathon were both very much into that subject. As they entered the classroom she spotted a middle aged man standing at the front of the room. He looked up and watched Danielle and Jonathon intently as they found a block of open seats in the fifth and sixth row and settled in. After a bit he started over towards them then he stopped and settled into a seat on the third row. A second later a youngish man carrying a couple of folders entered the room and headed toward the front of the class. He stopped at the teacher's desk and glanced up at the class. Then with a startled gasp he stared up at where Danielle was sitting and nearly fell backwards over his desk. The man quickly moved around behind his desk. He appeared very disturbed and fidgety. Danielle saw fear in the man's eyes.

That class ran very short. The professor assigned a chapter for the class to read and made a few comments about the material. Then he couldn't get out of the classroom fast enough. As they walked out of the classroom Danielle could see that Jonathon was clearly unhappy, downright moody. "Jonathon, are you OK?" She asked, concerned.

"He was terrified of me." Jonathon responded in a hurt voice. "This class was supposed to be the most fun of the semester. I was very excited about being in it." He shook his head. "Instead the short time it lasted was an endurance trial."

"Why should you care?" Asked Kevin, annoyance permeating his voice. "It's his problem, not yours."

"You don't understand." Jonathon replied. "Being inundated in his fear was almost as bad for me as it was for him."

"I didn't realize that." Scott and Kevin both remarked simultaneously in surprise.

"Don't worry about it." Danielle laid her hand on his arm. "We can go to the office and change our schedules Friday.

Danielle and her friends met up in the commons and talked over their day then they headed to their favorite ice cream place by Central Park. They all had interesting tales of the rumors that had spread throughout campus about Jonathon. Many of them were the source of a great deal of amusement to those that knew Jonathon. They were, however, all pretty upset for his sake over the history teacher's reaction.

~ o ~

That evening Danielle complained to her father about the history teacher. He sympathized. "Sometimes, Honey, life just isn't fair and I'm afraid that you are bound to run into this type of thing occasionally, especially if you are with someone as unique as Jonathon."

"But what can I do about it?" She asked.

He squeezed her shoulder. "There will be times when, no matter how much we try, there is nothing that can be done to change the situation. In the end it comes down to whether or not you will let such hassles come between you. You will just have to decide if he is important enough to you to make it worth it." He smiled at her. "I suspected that you do care about Jonathon enough to make it worth the problems you may encounter."

_**Continued in Part 9**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	9. Phobias And Questions

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 9 : Phobias And Questions**

Wednesday went pretty much like Monday had. Most of the other students were beginning to become accustom to Jonathon's presence in their classes. A few even teased him about being the school mascot. Psych Class was a lot of fun for everyone. The professor brought up the subject of empaths and got Jonathon to talk about how being an empath influenced the way he interacted with others. This led to a lively discussion of how it could be either an advantage or a disadvantage.

Danielle's sociology class was a little more interesting because most of the class had found out about her connection to Jonathon. Her professor took up where they had left off on Monday, branching off into a general discussion of how established cultures reacted when new cultures or races were added into the mix. Danielle's prom got dragged into the discussion.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle and all her friends showed up early for their American History class and located themselves at the very back of the classroom. They figured the further they were from the teacher, the less they would disrupt the class. By class time only a little over two-thirds of the students had shown up. Five minutes after class was scheduled to start, a young teacher's aid came in and wrote on the board that class was canceled for today. With a general collection of groans and cheers, the students filtered out of the room. Danielle decided that she and Jonathon should go talk to the freshman councilor about the problem.

On the way to the councilor's office Danielle stopped dead in the middle of the hall. When Jonathon looked at her questioningly she pointed to the office that they had been passing. The door sported the name of history professor Daniels. "Maybe we can talk to him directly." Danielle suggested. "Try to solve the problem here . . . It's worth a try."

"I don't know if this is such a good idea." Jonathon replied hesitantly. "I don't want to force myself on him if he is that afraid of me." He still remembered the taste of the professor's fear. It had not been a particularly pleasant experience.

"We'll just talk to him; show him that there is no reason to fear you." She cajoled Jonathon. "Once he sees how interested you are in American History, he will want you in his class. Every teacher wants students that love their subject."

After a moment's hesitation he let Danielle draw him to the closed door. Danielle knocked on the door as she looked back at Jonathon. She saw uncertainty in his eyes. "Just let him see the real Jonathon. Use your gifts to help you put him at ease. You'll be fine." She patted his chest reassuringly.

"Come in." Responded a muffled voice inside.

Danielle opened the door and entered drawing a slightly reluctant Jonathon in with her. Professor Daniels was typing on his computer as he spoke. "Yes, what can I do for . . ." His voice died as he looked up, then his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He jumped up, sending his chair crashing over, emitted a strangled squawk and retreated scrambling over the chair to the furthest corner of his office from them, a look of pure unreasoning terror on his face. Then Danielle heard a thump and the clatter of fallen furniture behind her and turned. Jonathon was backed into the opposite corner of the office his face twisted in a snarl and the same look of pure unreasoning terror in his eyes as well. With a sense of horror she realized that Jonathon was feeling the professors fear directly and reacting to it. They were both in a state of uncontrollable panic. Even worse she could see by the snarling look on Jonathon's face that he was now poised on the balance point in a pure fight or flight mode, and he was cornered. She had to get him out of here quickly before it tilted towards fight and he attacked.

The office door was wide open so all she needed to do was get him to the door and away from this office. She reached out to touch his arm. He jerked away and snarled at her. He didn't even seem to recognize her. "Jonathon." She called as she reached out again. He snarled again and tried to shrink away from her then he snarled at the professor. This wasn't going well at all. He wouldn't even let her touch him. She was scared now which wasn't helping matters. She had to break him out of his terrified state, quickly, before things got any worse but first she had to get her own emotions under control. She positioned herself directly in front of Jonathon, between him and the professor, and concentrated on getting herself as calm as possible. She took several deep breaths and thought the situation through. She had to shock him, break him out of the state he was trapped in. She knew that in his current state what she needed to do could be dangerous but she had to do something. She had gotten him into this position and it was up to her to get him out of it. She was startled when he emitted a loud snarl, shaking his head. Time was running out, he was working himself up for an attack. She stepped up to him and screwed up her courage. Then she reached up and slapped him just as hard as she could while screaming out his name.

With a sound halfway between a snarl and a growl, Jonathon raised his clawed hand to strike. Danielle cringed and closed her eyes. A half second later she opened them and saw a dispirited and defeated Jonathon, his eyes glazed over, swaying before her. She quickly grabbed his hand and, pulling with all her might, dragged him out the door and down the hall. After they had gone about a dozen yards he quit resisting her pull and seemed to retreat within himself, almost catatonic. She ran back and shut the professor's door, catching a glimpse of him slumped to the floor in the corner of his office. She returned to Jonathon and got him halfway down the hallway when she spotted their psychology professor's office. The door was open and their professor was in his office, reading a book and making notes.

Professor Lawson looked up as they entered his office. One look at their faces and he jumped up and came around his desk to help them. "What in the world happened to you?" He was very concerned by the look of total defeat on Jonathon's face and the fear and concern on Danielle's face.

Danielle eased Jonathon into a free chair then succumbed to a violent case of the shakes. Jonathon shook off his state of shock, then stood back up and put his arms around her to comfort her. Professor Lawson noticed that he did it hesitantly, almost as though he was afraid of touching her. She clung to him as though her life depended on it. After a few seconds she calmed down. Jonathon glanced over at Professor Lawson. "We a . . . We went in to see Professor Daniels . . ." He trailed off unable to say more as he was overwhelmed in shame.

"Oh my God!" Professor Lawson's eyes got nearly as big as Professor Daniels' had. "You don't know, do you?"

Danielle looked up in surprise at his tone of voice. "What do you mean professor?" She asked, surprised at his reaction.

Professor Lawson shook his head. "Professor Daniels has a pathological fear of cats, it's called Ailurophobia." He gazed into Jonathon's eyes. "The phobia is very deep and very strong in Professor Daniels. He can't even enter Doctor Logan's office because she has a picture of her pet cat, Leo, sitting on her desk."

Now it was Danielle's eyes that betrayed a hint of horror. After a second she remarked. "Then Jonathon would be his worse nightmare come to life." She shook her head in denial. "And Jonathon got the full force of it when he first caught sight of us in his office."

Jonathon spoke up. "I had myself wide open so that I could better understand him and work out whatever the problem was. I never had a chance to block my senses. It was like running into a rock wall. I was completely overcome with unreasoning terror and he was the object of my fear." He looked down at Danielle still held protectively in his arms. "I almost attacked Danielle when she tried to snap me out of it." He squeezed his eyes shut thinking of what could have happened.

Professor Lawson spoke up. "The whole faculty is pretty much aware of Professor Daniels' fear of cats and we were already aware of the situation in your class. We had just lined up another teacher to take over that class, but I guess they didn't tell you about that." He shrugged. "We dropped the ball there. Sheppard and Daniels will trade sections for this semester."

"But what do we do about what just happened?" Jonathon asked. "Professor Daniels was probably in pretty bad shape when Danielle finally got me out of his office."

"There's really nothing you can do about that now, other than try to avoid Professor Daniels as much as you can. I will check in on Professor Daniels and make sure he's OK." He gripped Jonathon's arm. "It wasn't your fault. The only thing you're guilty of, is trying to do the right thing in a situation that was beyond your control." He dropped his hand. "In fact, that is what we were discussing when word first reached us about what happened in your Monday class."

Danielle felt much better when they left Professor Lawson's office but she could tell that Jonathon was still bothered by something. Finally she stopped, placing her hand on his chest. "What's bothering you Jonathon?"

He glanced into her face a moment and glanced away as though he was having trouble looking at her. "I almost attacked you. I frightened you." He looked down, unwilling to meet her eyes.

Now she understood. She remembered what she had read in Brigit O'Donnell's book about the difficulties Vincent and Catherine went through. She placed her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her. "Look at me! You were half out of your mind with a terror that you couldn't control and I hit you just about as hard as I could. Still you couldn't bring yourself to hurt me." She laced her fingers through his fingers. "Sure I was scared but I knew that you loved me and I had faith in your love. That's why I was willing to take that chance." She began walking again, her fingers still interlaced with his, pulling him along. "You would never hurt me and now, after what just happened, we both have definitive proof of that."

By the time she went home she was pretty sure that Jonathon would be OK but it might take some time for him to put the incident completely behind him. She couldn't help berating herself, though, for getting him into the situation in the first place.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The next week started out well. The new American History teacher Doctor Lloyd Sheppard was very good and the class turned out to be as much fun as Danielle and Jonathon had originally hoped it would be. The first day of class developed into a discussion of which historical figures had the most influence on the direction of American culture and politics.

With the exception of a few strange rumors that went around campus about Jonathon and Professor Daniels, the rest of the week went well. Danielle found herself obliged to answer the occasional queries from other students about what went down between Jonathon and Professor Daniels. She always told them that Daniels suffered from a cat phobia which made it impossible for him to be in the same room as Jonathon and left it at that. She was also quick to quash, decisively, any suggestion that either one of them had attacked the other. She knew how devastating such rumors could be for both of them and she knew that Jonathon would feel badly if the incident caused problems for Professor Daniels.

For their part, Jonathon and Professor Daniels did their best to avoid each other. It continued to bother Jonathon a bit that he had been unable to resolve the situation, even though Professor Lawson insisted that it was totally beyond his control, and the incident in Daniels office was not his fault.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Over the last few weeks after the Daniels incident, Danielle had been noticing a general pensiveness about Jonathon. At first she had assumed that it was over his failure with Daniels but it seemed to be most prevalent when they were alone together. Finally she asked him what was bothering him but he just blew it off on general college life anxiety. That Friday he begged off spending time with her over the weekend, saying he had things he had to do, and dropped out of sight.

~ o ~

William sensed that something was bothering his youngest son and Danielle had come to him saying she was worried about Jonathon. She also told him about the incident in the professor's office. He tracked his son down to the mirror pool. Jonathon was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the pool. "Hi dad." He looked up as William approached, _uncertainty_ plainly reflected both in his face and in his emotions. "Come to solve my problems?" He asked half jokingly.

William smiled back at him. "That depends on what problems have been bothering you recently." He sat down next to his troubled son. "But I'm willing to do what I can to help you work it out."

Jonathon stared into the pool for a short while then he spoke. "It's about Danielle and me." He tossed a small pebble into the pool and watched the ripples spread across the water. "I know that we both are very much in love with each other. Have been since at least the end of summer." He tossed another pebble into the water. "But I've never been able to form a bond with her. I've tried a couple of times . . . but nothing. I wonder if there is something wrong with me or am I doing it wrong."

They sat there in silence for several seconds, both staring at the water, then William spoke. "Is there any reason this has come up now?" He had his suspicions about what had triggered his son's disquiet but it would help if he knew for sure.

Jonathon looked up at his father. "It's what happened in that professor's office. There was an instant when I didn't know her. For just a moment I was about to attack Danielle." He looked back down. "There was no bond there to stop me."

William nodded to himself remembering what Danielle had told him about it. Jonathon was still a bit young to have to be wrestling with these types of questions. He began talking. "First of all son we don't form the bond. It's not something we have any control over. It just . . . happens. Every one of us since Vincent has pondered the mystery of the bond; wondered what it is and how or why it happens. For each of us it is different and unique." He sighed. "Though love may be a major part of it, it is not necessarily the only factor and the bond is certainly not required for love to bloom. No one knows what exactly it is that triggers the bond."

William paused for a moment to look at his son. "Your mother and I became linked when we were still essentially adversaries. She was trying to hunt me down and it took a while for me to recognize it for what it was. For Alexander and Alexandra, their link, and their love, formed full blown and completely bidirectional almost the moment they first locked eyes on each other. Jacob and Linda were linked from the time they were ten years old, long before they fell in love. Charles and Elizabeth were raised together yet their link developed very slowly, from first hint, just after they hit puberty, to a full two way bond, over a three year period. Joseph and Paulette are very much in love and have been happily married for twenty-seven years now, with two children, yet they have never developed a bond, though he has a link to each of his children. Michael and Madison have a bond but it is strictly one way. She has no sense of him." He tossed another pebble into the pool. "Each of us has experienced it differently. Whether or not you two ever form a bond, will not change how you feel about each other. Your love exists outside of and independent of any bond. Most of the human race seems to have done quite well without it"

"But what if I should hurt her without knowing?" He looked up at his father begging for reassurance.

William shook his head. "That can never happen. **You** are still an empath. **You** would know **instantly** if you were doing something to hurt her and your love for her would insure that you would not do whatever it was. You don't need the bond to love her. Joseph and Paulette have done fine without it. You will always have your empathic sense to guide you. Most men stumble into relationships blindly, without the advantage of your gift. At least you know how she feels and what she needs from you." He placed his hand on Jonathon's shoulder. "Danielle told me about what happened. You know, she feels responsible for precipitating the situation. Based on what she told me, she was never in any danger from you. She said that you never came close to harming her." He gave his son's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "The worst you did was growl at her." He laughed. "I've growled at your mother lots of times for many different reasons."

They both sat there in silence tossing pebbles into the water as Jonathon wrestled with his thoughts. William could feel his son's emotions as he processed what had been said and slowly worked things out in his mind. Jonathon was a very thoughtful and intelligent person. William suspected that he already had his answers; he just needed a sounding board to help him work it out. After a few quiet minutes he could sense that Jonathon had come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Finally Jonathon stood up. "Thanks, Dad."

William smiled up at his son and responded. "Anytime son."

As Jonathon headed up the tunnel William continued to stare into the pool thinking about how often they had all, at one time or another, dealt with the mystery of the bond. Still it remained a mystery to them. Though his bond with Patricia was not a requirement of their love, they probably never would have ended up together if it had not formed when it did. And he knew that he would sorely miss their bond if it ever went away. Finally he stood up and headed back towards the brownstone. He had developed a sudden desire to be with Patricia.

~ ( BatB ) ~

All weekend long Danielle had fretted about Jonathon's absence. She had even asked William about it. William told her that Jonathon was troubled over something but he was unsure what. He told her that he would find Jonathon and see what he could do to help. Now it was Monday morning and Danielle was extremely relieved to see Jonathon arriving before his first class. She quickly became aware of a change in Jonathon as he swept her up into his arms and planted a very thorough kiss on her. She was suddenly ecstatic then, just as suddenly, embarrassed as she remembered that they were standing in the middle of the school commons and she could hear the reactions of those around them. "What's gotten into you?" She asked as she tried to get him to put her down.

"I'm in love and I don't care who knows it." He replied as he spun them both around again. There was a kind of lightness about him; he was more like his old self, happy and confident. The pensiveness was completely gone.

"Well you have class and I don't want you to be late." She admonished him as he set her back on her feet. She smacked his chest. "Now get to class before you embarrass us and I'll see you in Psych afterwards." He grabbed her hand, kissed it and was gone. Danielle headed into the library grinning from ear to ear.

_**Continued in Part 10**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	10. New Beginnings

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 10 : New Beginnings**

As the school semester advanced Danielle and Jonathon quickly settled into the college life routine. Jonathon's brother Alexander went to Washington D.C. and joined the Secret Service, Alexandra remained in New York to finish up the semester. Occasionally they would cross paths with her and she would update them on what was happening with Alexander. He had breezed right through the entrance exams and they had dropped him into the training program that had already started. So far it was turning out to be child's play for him. Karen was corresponding regularly with Agent Scott Myers.

The presidential campaign was really heating up. It looked like Jerry Carlton was going to take it in a walk and the opposition was getting increasingly desperate. The latest attack advertisements were trying to use his stand on the Wells-Chandlers against him but after only a week it had already begun to backfire on them. Danielle had heard that Professor Daniels had shown a distinctly anti-Carlton sentiment in his class discussions. She suspected that it had a lot to do with his personal fear of Jonathon's family.

Danielle's sociology teacher also came out against President Carlton, though in his case it was more because of ideological differences in President Carlton's domestic policies, with one exception. He agreed with the current policies towards the Wells-Chandlers. As much as she enjoyed that class, Danielle quickly learned that disagreeing with her professor politically could hurt your grade so she just avoided speaking whenever the subject in that class entered the realm of current politics.

~ ( BatB ) ~

As Halloween approached, Travis invited Danielle and all of their friends to a costume party at his place. Everyone asked if Jonathon and Danielle were going to do Beauty and the Beast. Jonathon adamantly refused, saying that Danielle was far too pretty to be believable as the beast. When Danielle asked him what he was planning he would just smile and tell her that she would see soon enough, then refused to elaborate. Danielle finally found a very sexy vampire costume to wear.

When the day of the party arrived Jonathon showed up in a Puss-n-boots costume that Danielle thought actually looked very dashing on him. Melanie teased them both saying that Danielle's fangs were longer than Jonathon's. Danielle complained that she was hungry and Jonathon was so tall that she couldn't quite reach his neck. She also asked how he managed to talk with his fangs. His response was, "Practice."

Alexandra showed up dressed like a big game hunter. She said she was hunting lions and laughingly complained that the one she was after was nowhere around. Danielle pointed at Jonathon but Alexandra said he wouldn't do. She said it was the wrong color pelt.

They all had a great time at the party and everyone was amused by Alexandra and Jonathon's choice in costumes.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was actually pretty warm for early November as Jonathon and Danielle strolled through Central Park. They were in a relatively isolated area when Jonathon stopped beside a lone park bench. "You once told me that you had never seen it so I thought I would bring you by and show it to you." He pointed to the other side of the path from the bench.

She looked where he was pointing and saw the 'Forever' monument that she had heard about but never seen. She stepped over to it and touched it's crystalline surface as she gazed at the words embedded deep inside it. The rose that underlined the word Forever looked so real. She looked up at him and asked. "Is that rose real?"

He smiled and shrugged. The story is that the rose is real and was supposed to have come from a bush that once sat on Catherine's balcony. I can't speak to the veracity of the legend but I do know that the rose in there is real. I don't know what they did though to preserve it."

"It's a beautiful monument." She remarked as she read the inscriptions. "I remember reading that it was somewhere near here that Vincent found Catherine."

Jonathon pointed to a road barely visible through the thick brush. "He found her on that slope below that road. And, as Catherine once said, that is where their life together began. That's why the monument was placed here."

As Danielle eased into Jonathon's embrace, she looked at the beautiful monument to the love of Catherine and Vincent. She thought there was something so romantic about this spot that served as the perfect proof that love really could conquer all.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle, Shania, Pamela and Melanie were clustered around Danielle's computer reading, giggling and remarking on the dialog displayed there. It was the school's public chat room and there was another Dan and Leo debate going on.

The Dan and Leo debates had started about a month ago. Just before Halloween, user name Dan1X had been pontificating on the meaning of the holiday and complaining about the waste of time, money and energy for what amounted to a distorted druid religious celebration. A brand new user name Leo49 had popped up and entered the discussion on the other side of the question. He had been in favor of keeping the modern version of the holiday just the way it was.

Both of them tended towards the use of pithy to-the-point comments and humor to get their opinions across. Soon the Dan and Leo debates had become a fixture, sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing, but always entertaining and a major topic of talk on campus with salient lines being bandied about over lunch tables and vending machines. One of their debates had even been featured in Danielle's Sociology class. Now, anytime Dan and Leo showed up in the chat room at the same time, phones began to ring and word quickly spread.

Danielle and her friends had been in the middle of a sleepover party when Shania had gotten a call from Kevin telling her that Dan and Leo were online. Now they were expounding on a recent court decision. Danielle had signed into the chat room as user name DaDu01 and now she and her friends were adding their comments to the discussion. Normally Danielle tended to side with Leo when Dan and Leo were on opposite sides of an issue but this time she had to go with Dan's opinion.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was early morning and Danielle and Jonathon stood patiently in line, anxiously waiting their turn. Behind them stood William and Patricia. It was election day and Jonathon was determined to be the first Chandler-Wells to vote. He had spent a lot of time over the last week looking over the candidates and issues on today's ballot. Danielle had been swept along by his enthusiasm. Then it was their turn and they advanced to the sign-in table.

Danielle stepped up to the machine. A minute later Jonathon stepped up to the place two machines over. President was a no-brainer. She selected Jerry Carlton. Once she was finished she touched the [ **VOTE** ] button and stepped away from the machine. She saw William and Patricia at adjacent machines on the next row over. Jonathon was already standing by the exit with a huge grin on his face and an 'I Voted' sticker on his chest.

Danielle trotted up to him. "How did you get done so fast?"

Jonathon held up his clawed hand, wiggling his fingers. "Natural built in styluses. I could make four selections simultaneously." He told her laughing.

They all went over to the brownstone to watch the election returns. The press was making a big deal about Alexander being the first Wells-Chandler to vote. Jonathon grumbled good naturedly about big brothers stealing their siblings thunder. Then there was a short video that showed Jonathon, William, Danielle and Patricia exiting the polling place, probably taken by someone with a cell phone. President Carlton won reelection in a landslide, which made everyone in Jonathon's family happy.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Dan and Leo were online again. Danielle called all her friends to let them know. It was the day after the election and the topic was the election results and this was one of the few cases were their opinions were diametrically opposed to each other. Danielle called out to her parents and brothers, they had all recently become followers of the Dan and Leo debates.

The debate was fast and furious. Though Danielle leaned heavily on Leo's side of the debate, she had to admit that Dan and Leo each had good points on their side. There were also about twelve other posters involved in this one. The puns and humorous comments were coming thick and fast. Very soon the whole family was reduced to tears and laughter pained sides.

The debate wandered into the subject of the Wells-Chandlers. This also became very heated. Dan felt that they were a danger to society and Leo felt that they were a benefit. The humor became more muted and the rhetoric more serious at this point. The opinions were very carefully thought out on both sides and it was obvious that they both felt strongly about the subject. Danielle and her family were firmly on Leo's side but Dan did manage to bring up a few troubling issues. The debate itself was fascinating and very stimulating. After about an hour and a half Leo signed off stating that he had errands to run.

Danielle shut down her computer and the family retired to their parlor. The video had been left on the news channel and the news was all about the recent internet phenomenon known as the Dan and Leo debates. Apparently the debates were now being followed worldwide. There were even several internet sites devoted to analyzing and discussing the Dan and Leo debates. It also seemed that the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian had started archiving the debates.

The news also presented a synopsis of the Wells-Chandler portion of the debate. Danielle was a little bothered by this. Though Leo's arguments for the Wells-Chandlers were the stronger and better supported, she was afraid that Dan's arguments could cause problems for Jonathon and his family.

Glancing at the clock Danielle realized that it was getting late and she had a date with Jonathon tonight.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Jonathon approached William. "Dad, I was wondering . . . I would like to invite Danielle to Winterfest." He stood there shifting nervously from foot to foot.

William looked at his son for a few seconds before he spoke. "This is a very big important step you're contemplating. Not only are you taking on the responsibility of introducing an outsider to the secret of the tunnels but you will also be placing the responsibility of protecting that secret on Danielle's young shoulders. Now that we are living in the open there is no longer a need to expose the tunnels when we bring a new person into our family. If things should ever turn sour for us here above, the secrecy of the tunnels could be doubly important." He gazed at his son for a second. "Are you sure that your relationship is that secure? Are you sure that she is ready for that kind of responsibility?"

Jonathon stood there giving his father's comment's and questions the serious consideration that they deserved. Finally he responded. "I don't really know for sure if our relationship will last, though I **believe** that it is secure and that it will last. It feels right to me." He pondered for a moment. "Even if we didn't last, I think Danielle would prove to be trustworthy and I don't think she would consider it a burden. She is a very responsible person and, knowing her, I actually think she would consider it an honor to be entrusted with the secret." He looked down for a moment then up into his father's eyes. "To be honest, I think she would love Winterfest and this is something that I want to share with her. This is a gift that I want to give to her because I love her so much."

William gazed at his son a moment. He understood how his son felt and he sympathized with his reasons. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "I will bring this up before the council and I will urge a favorable decision. I have already considered the possibility before now. I have seen the records at the foundation dealing with her father and, if we invite her, I think we should also invite her parents." He dropped his hand. "I will let you know as soon as the council decides."

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle's grandparents had come up from Washington D.C. for Thanksgiving. Her father's sister was also there. Her older brother, Wayne, had invited his fiancé and Danielle had invited Jonathon.

Wayne entered with a lovely young woman on his arm. Her dark almond eyes and long black hair spoke of her oriental ancestry while her nose and complexion told of her ties to the European branch of her family. As she gazed, mesmerized, at Jonathon, Wayne introduced her. "Kay this is Jonathon Chandler-Wells, my sister's boyfriend . . . Jonathon, this is my fiancée, Kay Ching."

Danielle's little brother smothered a choked laugh as Wayne glared at him. Jonathon smiled just enough to cause the tips of his fangs to peek out. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ching." He responded.

Kay stared at Jonathon for a couple of seconds then with a shiver broke out of her trance. "Um . . . ah . . . it's a, ah, pleasure to meet you." She blushed then looked down. "Sorry, I, ah, I didn't mean to stare like that."

Jonathon chuckled. "Think nothing of it. I assume you have never encountered anyone like me before."

"No I have not." She replied shyly.

"Well, it's pretty much accepted that when you encounter something new, it's human nature to want to examine it, so look all you want. It doesn't bother me at all . . . that is, as long as you don't start poking at me like a science experiment." He told her smiling. "Besides I know there's something you're just dying to ask me."

Kay looked up at him. "I, ah, I don't want to embarrass or insult you."

"You won't. I've been on a college campus for nearly three months now. I've heard them all many times."

"It's, well, it's your . . . upper lip and your fangs." She blushed again. "Don't they make it difficult to, ah, to talk?"

Danielle cracked up. Kay looked over at her in surprise as Danielle buried her face in Jonathon's shoulder and pounded on his chest while she continued to laugh. Jonathon chuckled, his eyes sparkling with humor as he smiled at her. Wayne looked on curiously wondering why the question was so funny. Danielle managed to control her laughter enough to remark. "I asked a very similar question on the first day we met." Then she cracked up again.

His eyes twinkling and grinning wide enough to clearly display the items in question, Jonathon filled in the details. "She asked me if they made it hard to . . . kiss."

Danielle gasped out. "Hasn't been a problem so far." And she was off again. Wayne was now laughing too, mostly over his sister's antics. Kay also giggled a bit.

Jonathon sobered just a bit. "In answer to your question, just a little bit at first. The fangs first grew out when I was about five. I developed a severe lisp for a short while, until I got used to them. The cleft lip has never really been a problem."

Kay soon got over her shyness around Jonathon and the conversation around the table became very lively. At one point Kay asked if it was true that he could read minds. Danielle was the one that answered. She explained that the Wells-Chandlers were empaths and could only sense the emotions of those around them. She related some of her experiences with this trait, most of them humorous. They also talked a lot about the Washington D.C. events last spring. Kay was very interested in Danielle's tales of that plane trip and the things that happened while she was there. The topic of the Alex-n-Alex wedding also came up. The humorous aspect to the sound of Kay's name also came up leading to the subject of the effects of culture and language on the names from different cultures.

By the end of the meal Kay was totally at ease with Jonathon and he had made a new friend. Danielle was glad for Wayne's sake that Kay had accepted Jonathon and Jonathon had liked her.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was Friday night, a week after thanksgiving. Wayne was out with Kay and Mathew was over at a friend's house. Jonathon had just arrived to pick Danielle up for their date. "Hi, Danielle." He greeted her as he stepped into her home. "Are your parents available?" He seemed to be slightly distracted. "I would like to speak with them about something very important."

_**Continued in Part 11**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	11. Winterfest

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 11 : Winterfest**

Bursting with curiosity, Danielle fetched her parents and they were soon all sitting around the kitchen table. In the center of the table was a box, twelve inches long, four inches wide and a little over an inch deep. Jonathon began speaking. "As you know we, those called the Wells-Chandlers, have been around, living in New York, for a little over a hundred years. Yet until Alexander's rather spectacular début we were rarely seen by the public. There is a very special place hidden in the heart of New York that most people have no idea even exists. It is a safe haven, were those that have nowhere else to turn, can find refuge, friendship and help. Those that live there, help those that have been beaten down, to rebuild their spirit and regain their lives. They also help those that the regular authorities can not help. This place is the reason we were able to remain hidden from the world for so long. The existence and location of this place is the greatest, most important secret we know and we do not share that secret lightly. It takes a vote in the council before someone can be introduced to this place."

He now had their undivided attention as he opened the box he had brought with him. Inside were three incredibly beautiful candles. Danielle caught her breath and she heard her mother's soft gasp as they looked at them. Jonathon then continued speaking.

"We have a very special . . . holiday, there. Every year on December twenty-first we celebrate Winterfest. It's a really big party where we gather with those who know of us, and renew our friendships. We also use it to remember why this place exists and what we mean to each other. There's food and drink, music and dancing, and the company of many friends and helpers, both new and old." He picked up one of the candles. "These candles are an invitation to come celebrate Winterfest with us." He turned the candle in his hand. "The candles are also your passport to enter this place as well as part of the opening ceremony." He swept them with his glance. "Keep in mind, if you accept this invitation, you will be accepting the responsibility of protecting the secret of this place and the people that they help."

Jonathon picked up a two of the candles and extended them to Michael and Julie. "You have been invited because of your kindness and acceptance of myself and my family, because of your connection to my grandfather Charles, and because you are Danielle's parents." He took the last candle and handed it to Danielle. "You have been invited because I love you and I wish to share this very special thing with you."

Danielle felt shivers run down her spine as she took the offered candle. She suspected that for Jonathon this was a more serious step even than a proposal. She glanced at her parents and could tell by their expressions that they too understood how important this invitation was. Then her father responded. "We would be honored to come to your Winterfest, Jonathon."

Jonathon smiled. "That's great. The party itself starts at seven though the procession starts at at around six-thirty. It runs until midnight or until you are too pooped to party. Whichever comes first. Dinner is included. And if you decide to stay the night, there is plenty of room for guests." He paused. "We will be leaving as a group from our brownstone right about six so you will need to arrive there by five forty-five." He took Danielle's hand. "Now we had better be going if we want to get to the theatre on time."

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was excited and nervous as she and her parents approached Jonathon's home. Wayne was out with his fiancé and Mathew was spending the weekend with their grandparents. Danielle's parents had understood that this invitation was only for them and Danielle. Apparently they were about to be let in on a very big secret tonight and she just hoped they would prove worthy of the trust Jonathon had bestowed on them. Ever since Alexander's spectacular coming out, she had wondered how the Wells-Chandlers had remained hidden for over a hundred years. She didn't really buy the idea that they simply stayed indoors for their entire lives. Through Shania's fascination with them she had known that the majority of reported sighting were in and around Central Park. She was finally going to get the answer to the one last unanswered question about them. For the tenth time she checked the box that held their three candles. They were still there.

Her father pressed the doorbell and in less than two seconds William opened the door. "Michael, Julie, Danielle, welcome. Come in, we're so happy you've come." Danielle was surprised to see several people were also there as they entered the parlor. There was Alexander and Alexandra standing next to the Mayor of New York and his wife. Over by the fireplace she saw the Senator from New Jersey and her husband.

William introduced everyone and invited Danielle and her parents to make use of the refreshments that were available. On the coffee table in the middle of the room was wine and soft drinks along with cookies, crackers and dip. After a few minutes, William announced, "Everyone is here now and we will be heading Below in about fifteen minutes. We don't want to be late for the opening ceremony."

"Jonathon mentioned something about an opening ceremony and it sounded like he considered it to be a very serious thing." Michael commented to William. "What is that about?"

William replied. "The first Winterfest, thought it wasn't really called that, was held the year after Vincent was found, on what was his birthday. The second year it was moved to December twenty-first. The opening ceremony first appeared in the third year and that's when it was first called Winterfest. With the exception of two lines that were added after the 9/11 disaster, the opening ceremony has remained unchanged ever since. It is a statement, a reminder, of what the community is all about." Soon it was time to head out. "Everybody make sure you have your candles." William called out. Danielle and her parents took their candles out of the box as Jonathon came up to her carrying his own candle.

Patricia approached the wall where the video display hung and reached into the narrow gap between the large screen and the wall. Danielle was surprised when a five foot section of the wall, where the display hung, swung quietly outward exposing what looked like a passageway behind it. Danielle felt a shiver pass through her as Jonathon put his arm around her waist. "Secret passageways hidden in the walls? This is getting very interesting." She remarked as she looked over and saw her parents looking surprised and intrigued at the opening.

William led them through the opening and down the several flights of stairs that were located behind the wall and around two corners. They passed through another concealed doorway into a utility tunnel and made their way some distance down that tunnel. They came to another concealed doorway that opened into an ancient looking brick walled tunnel. Danielle looked back to see her father looking around in fascination. Her mother was clinging to her father and gazing wide eyed at the tunnel around them. From there they walked a fair distance until they came to a large chamber with several tunnels leading away from it. Danielle had always had a pretty good sense of direction and she figured they were about sixty feet below ground and located below Central Park, somewhere near the band shell. In the center of the chamber floor was a large circular shaft with an iron stairway lining the side.

Another party arrived in that chamber at about the same time. Danielle recognized Devin and his retired supermodel wife Emily. There were three other leonine males and their families with Devin and Emily, none of them currently known to the general public. Danielle had only seen them once at the Wedding last September. They were Emily and Devin's three children that the media had been speculating about. Greetings were exchanged and the entire group started down the great stairway. She looked around in amazement thinking that these tunnels must be pretty extensive. Things were beginning to make sense. This was how they had remained hidden for so long. There must be access points inside the park. She wondered where they might be eventually heading. As they continued down this seemingly bottomless shaft, Danielle began to wonder just how far down they were going when she heard her father who was directly behind her mumble, "Journey to the Center of The Earth."

Jonathon beside her chuckled. "It's not quite that far down." There was a pause as they reached a landing along the endless stairway. "Here we are." They were at an opening in the side of the shaft.

As they passed through the opening she asked Jonathon. "How far down does it go?"

"I don't know." He laughed. No one I know has ever been able to screw up enough courage to follow those stairs all the way to the bottom. Legend has it that once a party lead by Vincent went all the way down to the bottom in pursuit of an evil madman called Paracelsus who had kidnapped his Catherine."

Danielle became aware that they were now in tunnels that had been carved through solid rock. She noticed lots of what appeared to be small one and two room apartment like chambers opening off the tunnel they were following. Behind her she heard her father softly exclaim, "Amazing . . . Unbelievable . . . Who could have known?" She agreed with his sentiments.

They entered a large very crowded chamber that reminded Danielle of the underground lunchroom in Carlsbad Caverns. "This is the community dining hall" Jonathon informed her. They hadn't been there more than a couple of minutes when Danielle's attention was drawn to a very regal looking white headed lion who called the crowd to order and reminded them to be sure they all had their candles. She recognized him as Jacob, oldest of the Wells-Chandlers currently alive.

Jacob led the whole community down through the most incredible tunnel Danielle had ever seen. The sides were almost machine smooth and they were covered with some of the most beautiful paintings. Jonathon informed her that these were called Elizabeth's painted tunnels. The procession seemed to naturally slow down a bit as everyone looked at the paintings. Danielle was overwhelmed by the beauty of the paintings as they filed past them. Each painting hinted at a story hidden within its images, just waiting to be told. Danielle noticed her parent's heads swiveling from side to side as they passed from one amazing scene to the next, trying to take it all in.

"Beautiful aren't they." Michael remarked reverently as he gazed at the paintings.

"They are absolutely incredible." Julie whispered, her eyes bright in appreciation.

They came to a stairway that passed along one side of a great bottomless fissure in the rock. There was a stiff wind that blew back the way they came. The stairway ended at great wooden double doors mounted into the rock wall. Devon handed his candle to his wife Emily then removed the massive bar, it must have weighed over three hundred pounds, from the doors. He pushed the great doors open as Jacob turned and faced the crowd. "Will you let me lead you through the darkness?" He asked. To the sound of the crowd's murmured assent, Jacob turned and stepped into the dark opening.

"Just follow my lead and don't worry about how dark it is at first. It's all part of the opening ceremony." Jonathon told Danielle and her parents. The chamber they entered was so large that she could not see the far walls in the dim light from the doorway. There was a flair of light and she spotted someone lighting a candle on a table about sixty feet further in. As her eyes adjusted to the dim illumination, she could just make out rows of trestle tables and benches. Jonathon led her and her family to one of the nearest tables and instructed them to grab a seat. "Don't let the darkness bother you." He told them. "It only lasts a very short time." Once everyone else was seated, Devon pushed the great doors closed and the room was plunged into near darkness, with the exception of the one candle at what Danielle was informed was the children's table. All of the whispering had ceased and the only sound was the rustling of Jacob's clothes and the scraping of his chair as he took his seat.

A spark flared and Jacob's candle came to life as he spoke. "The world above us is cold and gray, summer, a distant memory. Our world, too, has known its winters, so each year we begin this feast in darkness, as our world began in darkness."

Devon took over as Jacob used his candle to light the ones on either side of him. "Long before the city above us raised its towers to the sky, men sought shelter in these caverns." The flame was passed on to the candles of those on down the table.

William, who was seated about five seats away continued. "In those days these tunnels were dark places and those who dwelt here, dwelt in fear and isolation." Danielle saw that the flame was being passed to the rows on either side of theirs.

A woman with strawberry blond hair spoke. "It was a land of lost hope, of twisted dreams, where the sounds of footsteps coming down a tunnel were the sounds of terror, where men reached for rocks and knives and worse at the sound of other men's voices." Slowly the Great Hall got brighter and brighter as the flame was spread from candle to candle.

Jacob again spoke. "At last a few people learned to put aside their fear."

William spoke next. "And we began to trust each other, to help each other."

Patricia took over. "And each of us grew stronger, those that took the help and those that gave it."

Jonathon lit Danielle's candle from his and whispered, "The next two lines were added after 9/11." She passed the flame and the message to her father and noticed a suspicious hint of moisture in his eyes. Several people had began lighting the candles in two enormous lowered chandeliers as Devin recited the next line. "And we became a community, a family."

Jacob again spoke. "And when men with evil in their hearts brought pain and destruction to the outside world, we stepped out together and gave help and assistance where ever we could."

William spoke. "We are all part of one another. One family, one community." There was a moment's pause. "Sometimes we forget this, so we meet here each year to give thanks to those who have helped us, and to remember. Even the greatest darkness is nothing so long as we share the light."

As they raised the now blazing chandeliers, the whole room was dazzling as the mica and quartz in the rock walls glittered with reflected candle light. Danielle and her family sat there stunned by what they had seen and heard. There were tears on her mother's cheeks. Her father's eyes were bright with emotion as he remarked quietly to himself. "This is where it all came from." He looked at his wife. "This is the place where the Wells-Chandler Foundation really had its origins."

As soon as the ropes that supported the chandeliers were tied off several people began passing out the food. Michael remarked to Jonathon. "This is so fantastic. I have to keep reminding myself that it's not a dream."

"It is so beautiful, so magical, down here." Julie remarked in a voice husky with emotion. "And all of you grew up here?"

"Pretty much. We have some places 'Above' that have access to the tunnels, like our home, but we do spend a large part of our lives down here." He paused. "Vincent and Catherine lived in the brownstone with their kids but they also had a place down here where they often spent their weekends.

Jacob called the room to order. "Attention everyone. I've been told that Alexandra has an announcement."

The babble died away as Alexandra and Alexander stood up. "Actually we have two announcements." She told them. "Alexander has passed his training and on January second he takes his place on one of the Presidential guard details of the Secret Service. He will be the youngest ever to achieve that honor." The crowd cheered. "That same day I start my four month internship at the Smithsonian anthropology department." More cheers.

Everyone dived into their meals. The food turned out to be quite good. Most of the table conversation revolved around Alexander and Alexandra. There was also a good deal of talk about Karen's involvement with another Secret Service agent. It also seemed that all three of Devin and Emily's sons were planning to officially announce their existence to the world. Though they had been at Alexander's wedding they had avoided the press representatives that had been there. Their existence was known but they had not yet appeared openly in public. Access to the wedding had been strictly controlled so it didn't count as a public appearance. Danielle's parents mostly just ate and soaked it all in as they continued to gaze around in amazement.

Soon everyone had eaten their fill and the dishes were collected. Then everyone was drafted into clearing the Great Hall for the second part of the celebration. Six of the tables were moved over below the stairs at the back of the hall to be used as a make shift stage for those with musical talent. Another dozen tables were set up off to the side to be used for games and snacking. Most of the bench seats were set up around the central area so people could sit and rest or talk between dancing. The rest of the tables were stacked against the far wall. Then the musicians took the stage and began to play. William and Patricia were the first onto the dance floor followed by Devin and Emily and Joseph and Paulette. A few seconds later Jonathon drew Danielle along as he followed Alexander and Alexandra out onto the dance floor. Danielle already knew that Jonathon was a good dancer and she was really enjoying herself. They were into their third dance when she spotted her parents dancing nearby. Shortly after that she spotted Alexandra's parents. She hadn't even realized they were here until then

Later they were sitting over at the tables sharing a sweet drink and shooting the breeze with the Mayor of New York, of all people, and his wife. They were talking about Jonathon's first semester of college. The mayor's wife, Tibbie, asked Jonathon if he had chosen his major yet. Jonathon told her that he had decided to major in space engineering. Danielle added that he never got over his visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. When asked about her own plans Danielle told them that she was thinking of going into accounting. About then Alexandra's parents came over and joined the conversation.

After a while Danielle danced one number with her father while Jonathon danced with her mother. Her father told her how glad he was that she had found Jonathon. Then she was back with Jonathon and they were soon engrossed in each other.

It was fairly late and the crowd had begun to thin out when Danielle noticed that she didn't see her parents anywhere. She asked William about it and he told her that they had run out of steam about a half hour ago and were too tired to make the long trip back above so Patricia had shown them to the north remote chambers. The reference meant nothing to her but Jonathon assured her that he could show her the way any time. There was something in the look on his face that made her wonder if there was something significant about that location. Danielle was getting tired and he wrapped his arms around her. "I think you're about ready to call it a night as well." He smiled. "Maybe we should find you a guest chamber for the night."

"That would be nice." She replied as she leaned into his embrace.

_**Continued in Part 12**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	12. Passion and Continuity

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 12 : Passion and Continuity**

Jonathon headed towards the stairs at the back of the great hall. "We'll take the back way. It's narrow but it's quicker."

She had already seen the small cluster of special purpose chambers at the top of the stairs but she hadn't noticed a passageway out of that cluster. It turned out that there was a narrow passage leading out of the back of the small kitchen chamber. The tunnel came into the occupied section from the opposite direction of the one they had taken to go to the great hall. Danielle noticed that unlike when they had first come down, most of the openings they passed had tapestries draped across them. Jonathon told her that, down here, it was the equivalent of a do not disturb sign.

"Do you have a chamber down here?" She asked.

He pointed to an opening about three openings down. "That's where we lived when Alex and I were little. When Victoria came along we moved into a larger three room chamber. Four years ago Alex and I moved out on our own and ended up back in the same two room chamber where we started. It was only about a hundred feet from my parent's chambers. We shared that original chamber for the last four years. We don't use it much since the U.N. incident and we began living in the old brownstone"

Danielle's curiosity was peeked. "Can I see it?" She really wanted to see the kind of environment he had been raised in.

"I don't see why not though it may be a bit dusty." He led her into the small chamber.

The chamber Jonathon led her into was filled with the most unusual collection of books and odd bits of things. Most of the light in the room appeared to come from a semicircular stained glass window mounted into the rock wall behind a beat up old love seat. An opening on the other side of the room led to a chamber with two beds and a few other odd bits of furniture.

Almost everything in the chamber made her think of Jonathon with the exception of a very large statue of justice that filled one corner. As she stared at the statue, Jonathon began to explain.

"This chamber originally belonged to Vincent. That statue and the stained glass window were his." Jonathon indicated the second adjoining chamber. "That second chamber was added after they were married. When Catherine purchased the brownstone they kept this chamber as a sort of weekend home. When Catherine retired from public life they passed the brownstone on to my grandparents, Charles and Elizabeth, and moved down here permanently. After a while they relocated to a smaller single chamber closer to the library. When they passed away, shortly after Alexander was born, they were entombed in and that chamber and it was sealed up. When Alexander decided to move out on his own he and I took this chamber. Since last Spring this chamber has mostly been empty though I still have a lot of my things in here."

Danielle had been fascinated by his description of the chamber's history. In the second chamber were two beds large enough for Jonathon and Alexander. She sat down on one of the beds kicking off her shoes, complaining that her feet hurt and she needed to get off them for a few minutes. Jonathon offered to rub her feet and she accepted. It felt so good and she actually moaned in appreciation. Soon they were kissing and the passion was beginning to rise in both of them. After a while Jonathon broke the contact. "Maybe I should get you to a guest chamber before things get out of hand and we go too far."

Danielle looked up at him a moment as she gathered her scattered wits. "Actually I like this chamber" She paused blushing. Suddenly she was feeling so reckless, hang the consequences. "And I want you to stay with me." She blushed more deeply. She wanted him and she would go as far as he was willing to go.

Jonathon gazed at her for a moment. He could feel her _desire_ and it was every bit the match of his own. He reached out to touch her cheek and felt a surge in her _desires_. She knew what she was doing. She wanted this and, in truth, so did he. "One moment." He told her. He lit a few candles in the room then he went into the other chamber and lowered the tapestry across the outer opening, and came right back.. She looked at him in curiosity and he responded to her unasked question. "I put out the do not disturb sign. Now, unless one of us starts yelling for help, no one will disturb us."

Danielle didn't know what had gotten into her but she was feeling uncharacteristically forward and couldn't help herself. She grabbed his vest at the shoulders, grinning. "I'll try to be gentle so you won't need any help." Then she pulled him down on top of her into a very passionate kiss.

Their passions rose quickly and soon there was only one way things could go for either of them. Though the need was urgent, Jonathon kept things gentle and let it develop slowly, deliberately. The results were incredible. The climax came like a rolling thunder that, when it finally faded away, left her weak, sated, and joyously happy. As they lay there she could have sworn that for a moment she had been feeling a whisper of his sensations as well as her own.

Jonathon pulled her body in close against his and drew the covers up over them. He kissed her gently and whispered. "I love you, Danielle." He shifted slightly fitting her more comfortable against him as she felt herself drifting contentedly towards sleep.

As Danielle drifted off to sleep Jonathon mused over what had happened. He could sense no sign of regret in her. She had wanted this as much as him and was happy with the outcome. He could have sworn that he had felt the ghost of a bond between them for a moment but it was gone now. Father had been right about it not being necessary. He had been totally aware of her emotions and even in the heat of passion she had been in no danger. Contentedly he felt himself drifting towards sleep. Strangely one of the last things that went through his mind as he drifted off, was that Vincent and Catherine were supposed to have made love for the first time at Winterfest.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle awoke to the feel of a strong furry arm wrapped around her, another beneath her head and a warm body pressed up against her back. Memories of last night, she thought it was last night, she had no idea what time it was, came flooding back. A delighted shiver ran through her. Her one liaison with Leonard had been very good but it was not even in the same universe with what had happened last night. She gently touched the fur covered arm that cradled her head and smiled as she drifted back to sleep.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle awoke to the feel of feather light kisses along her ear and neck. "Good morning my love." Jonathon whispered.

"Good morning lover." She responded. She glanced around. "Are you sure it's morning?"

She felt the vibrations of his chest against her back as he chuckled. "It was morning when we went to bed last night."

She poked his side playfully with her elbow. "You know what I mean."

He laughed. "It's around nine in the morning."

"How can you tell?" She asked, curious. There was no sign of a clock in the room and she had not worn a watch.

"That large candle on the dresser." He replied, nodding toward it. "Those bands around it represent hours. When I lit it last night it was just around one and nearly eight hours have passed since then."

She giggled. "Interesting timekeeping system you have."

"We've been using those hours candles almost since the beginning. They are very accurate. A young woman from Vincent's time named Rebecca came up with them. She was a master candle maker. The current Winterfest candles are based on her design." He kissed her ear. "Hungry?"

She laughed. "Why ask, you know I am." She stretched and yawned. "And I could use a restroom."

"I know." He replied. "Out the door, to the right, twenty feet to the first tunnel on the left, thirty feet down that tunnel you will find the women's bathing facility. You can't miss it." She threw back the covers and stood up. Her clothes were scattered all over the floor and she became acutely aware of her nude state. She glanced back to see Jonathon gazing at her appreciatively and grinning. She looked down at herself and felt suddenly very warm and blushed bright red. Jonathon's grin widened as she looked downward and realized that he was just as naked and in throwing back the covers she had left him just as fully exposed. Her blush deepened. "There are robes in the top drawer of that dresser." He informed her.

She pulled two out and tossed one to him. He snagged it and put it on in one quick fluid movement. "Meet you back here shortly." He remarked as he too headed out. He had been right, she had no trouble finding what she wanted. Even if it had not been well marked, the sounds of women's voices and laughter would have drawn her attention. After dealing with the necessities she took a quick dip in the 'heated?!' bathing pool. Several of the women looked at her with knowing smiles causing her to blush again. She suspected that her lack of any clothing under her robe had given herself away. Then she noticed Patricia in there looking at her in surprise and really turned red.

When she got back she found Jonathon already half dressed. She noticed that he had also picked up her clothes and laid it all out on the other bed. He glanced up as she entered then grinned sheepishly at her. "Oops. Get any comment's from the others."

"No, but I got a lot of looks and a lot of giggles when they noticed my condition." She replied opening her robe to display said condition. Then she added. ". . . Including your mother." Then she was again blushing and closed her robe.

He grinned appreciatively then chuckled. "I'm sorry, Danielle. I should have warned you. I didn't even think about it."

She smiled shyly back. "I guess it doesn't really matter." She couldn't help blushing. "With all the empaths in your family I guess word would get around soon anyway." She giggled. "You should have seen the surprised look on her face."

Jonathon cringed just a bit. "I can imagine."

They quickly dressed and headed to the dining chamber where Jonathon led her to a buffet like arrangement at the back where a wide variety of food had been laid out. Once they had their food she spotted her parents sitting near the second entrance and apparently kissing. When they separated her mother spotted them and waved her over. There was a sparkle in her mother's eyes and Danielle couldn't help noticing the way her parents were behaving towards each other. Her mother grinned as she approached. "Danielle, you should have seen the lovely place they put us up in last night." She gushed. "Patricia told us that Catherine had dubbed it the Honeymoon Suite." She giggled like a teenager. "She said it was where Catherine and Vincent . . ." She glanced at her husband and blushed. Danielle also found herself blushing as she glanced over at Jonathon and saw him grinning knowingly. Her mother also caught his look. "Oh, my!" She exclaimed as she blushed bright red while covering her face with her hands. At this point William and Patricia arrived with loaded plates and sat down.

"That particular chamber has a long and distinguished history, Mrs. Duke." Jonathon remarked. "I'm glad you enjoyed staying there." He glanced over at his own mother. "I suspect that my mother had that in mind when she placed you there."

"Oh dear, I'm too old to be acting like this." Julie exclaimed as she continued to blush and giggle.

"You're never too old to feel young and in love." Patricia remarked smiling at her. Then she turned a rather enigmatic smile on Danielle. "Don't you think so?" Jonathon and Danielle both blushed, too tongue-tied to respond.

The breakfast was a very interesting experience, full of double meanings, laughter, and complex emotional undercurrents. One thing was obvious to Danielle. Her parents had enjoyed themselves and were in a particularly good mood this morning. Patricia knew the situation and obviously had a wicked sense of humor, throwing out double meaning barbs by the handful. Fortunately, her own parents were too engrossed in each other to realize what was going on between Danielle and Patricia. At least Patricia didn't appear to be angry or upset about the situation. William seemed to be observing the whole thing with amused detachment. The trip back up to the brownstone was lighthearted as they talked about yesterday's festivities.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was Christmas morning and Danielle's family was gathered around the tree opening presents. She gazed up at the glittering tree. It was the same artificial tree that they used every year, it had been purchased for her parent's first Christmas together. Each year on the weekend after thanksgiving weekend, per family tradition, the tree would be hauled down from storage and assembled in the living room. Then the boxes of decorations would be unpacked and everything placed as family tradition dictated. Most of the tree's ornaments had special meanings or backgrounds. She noticed the two newest ornaments, one made from a Presidential seal she had brought back from her lunch with the President, the other was a crystal that her parents had brought back last week from Winterfest. Near the top of the tree was the artificial flower that had once rested on the top of her parents wedding cake. Below and to the right was a beautiful hand painted ball that her father's mother had made for Danielle the year she was born. The entire tree was a record of her family history.

Soon all but two of the presents had been opened. Of the two remaining, one had Jonathon's name on it and the other was for Kay. After a half hour of hurried clean-up, Wayne left to pick up Kay. Kay and Jonathon were coming over for Christmas lunch with the family then Danielle would head over to Jonathon's to have dinner with his family. Jonathon arrived a few minutes after Wayne got back with Kay. Danielle handed Jonathon the present to him from her family and Wayne handed Kay hers. Jonathon was very neat in the way he removed the wrapping, so different from the flying shreds of paper that was typical of her family. He was very pleased with the gift that they had given him. Kay too was touched by her gift.

Jonathon was fascinated by the Christmas tree and, while her mother prepared the Christmas meal, Danielle pointed out each ornament, filling him in on it's history. Then it was time to eat.

Most of the conversation at the table revolved around Wayne and Kay's plans. They had decided that they wanted to have the wedding in April. Mathew's suggestion of April first got a groan from Wayne and an enthusiastic raspberry from Danielle. Jonathon remarked that it had been said that love doth make fools of us all. They also talked about the latest news of other family members as well as the interesting events of Danielle's first semester in College. All in all it was very good food accompanied by interesting and pleasant conversation.

After the meal Jonathon insisted on helping Danielle's mother clear the table. Danielle reluctantly joined in but ended up enjoying the conversation that accompanied the task. Afterwards they all sat around the table and Jonathon taught them a rather unique version of the card game Uno that he said originally came from Vincent's adopted brother Devin, a wild and unique character if there ever was one.

Around four, Wayne and Kay left to go over to her parents' house and Jonathon and Danielle left to go to his.

~ o ~

As Danielle entered the Chandler-Wells parlor, she was immediately aware of the smell of evergreen. The tree that stood before the main stairway had not been there three days ago. It was a live tree. What she had taken as a hundred white candles on the branches turned out to be candle shaped electric lights. The tree was festooned with garlands made from strings of popcorn. All the decorations were made of cookies, candy, and small ornaments made of tinfoil folded into various origami shapes. At the top was a great red satin bow. It had a beautiful old fashioned, almost Dickensonian, look to it.

Jonathon had told her that, in his family, the tree was put up and decorated on Christmas Eve. By New Years most of the edible decorations will have been consumed and the tree would be taken down. The only thing that would be packed away for next year would be the electric candles. The tree itself would be cut up and used for the parlor fireplace.

Alexandra and Alexander arrived about twenty minutes after Jonathon and Danielle. They had spent the morning with her family. While Alexandra and Patricia prepared the Christmas meal, Jonathon showed Danielle how they made the small folded paper decorations for the tree. He also told her that the tree itself came from the family property in Connecticut.

The Dinner was a very boisterous affair with lots of kidding and humorous stories of family adventures past. The food was very good. Danielle had to be careful not to choke on something, she was laughing so much. After dinner everyone pitched in to clear the table and put away the leftovers.

Afterwards one of a group of Christmas stories was selected and everyone took turns reading aloud from it. This time it was a story by Brigit O'Donnell. Jonathon informed her that last year it had been "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Meanwhile the decorations on the tree slowly dwindled as everyone snacked.

~ ( BatB ) ~

That evening as Danielle lay back home in her own bed, she thought about how differently the two families celebrated Christmas yet both were based on traditions that gave continuity with their past. She went to sleep toying with ideas about how the two sets of traditions might be blended together.

_**Continued in Part 13**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	13. Life Goes On

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 13 : Life Goes On**

The second semester of college began with very little difficulty. Jonathon and Danielle had two classes together, American History 102 and Literature 102. Again they had Doctor Sheppard for second semester American History. Jonathon took Biology with the same teacher that Danielle had had last semester. Jonathon and his academic councilor had worked out a pretty good pre-engineering curriculum for him. Danielle couldn't decide between accounting or business management so her academic councilor had worked out a curriculum that would easily lead into either major.

Alexandra had moved to Washington D.C. to begin her internship with the Smithsonian. Danielle watched the president's first appearance of the new year at Jonathon's home. His parent's had never made anything out of the new situation between Jonathon and her other than what had occurred the morning after Winterfest. Alexander could be seen on the screen standing in the background to the President's right. He looked so odd and impressive at the same time in that standard dark suit and sun glasses. Karen and Victoria both found the sight quite funny and nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. Patricia admonished them both for their disrespect but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes too.

The romance between Karen and Agent Scott Myers showed definite signs of heating up. Karen announced that she had just accepted a job offer in Washington D.C. She was going to stay with Alexandra and Alexander until she found a place of her own. They had a place that was plenty big enough to accommodate her and them. It was a three bed two bath ranch style in Arlington.

~ ( BatB ) ~

In early February Danielle was over at Jonathon's and they were watching the latest news about President Carlton and Alexander. There had been another assassination attempt but Alexander had become aware of it and stopped it before they had even gotten close enough to the president to carry out their plan. The newsman commented that this was the first time in the history of the country that a Secret Service agent had made celebrity status. He reported that in many ways Alexander's imposing presence combined with his already impressive history meant that the President was safer than ever before. Potential assassins found the idea of going up against him very intimidating.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was in the chat room with several others talking about various plans for Valentines Day, which was just a few days away. She was exchanging comments with Dan1X on the various plans that others were expounding when JCW04 (Jonathon) popped in. Almost immediately Dan1X popped out. Danielle was glad to see Jonathon but disappointed that Dan had left. She had noticed that whenever Jonathon entered the chat room Dan would leave immediately. She was pretty sure she knew who Dan1X was because of this behavior. It made her a bit sad that Jonathon couldn't even talk to him online.

After a bit of discussion of the current subject, they both signed off. They had plans for the afternoon. About an hour later Jonathon arrived to pick her up. Together they headed over to a place on Long Island where Jonathon and Danielle were both taking driving lessons. They had worked a deal where the driving school would give them the lessons in exchange for the right to say afterward that Jonathon Chandler-Wells had been a student. The one proviso was that it had to be kept secret until the lessons were over.

It had started out as a whim. Jonathon didn't really expect to ever need to drive but he had wanted to learn how. Danielle had never taken driving lessons either. She had never needed to drive. She decided that if Jonathon took lessons, she would like to learn to drive also. A friend of hers had told her about this particular driving school that was very good and often catered to celebrities. She had contacted them and made the arrangements for the lessons. She was actually enjoying the lessons with Jonathon.

It turned out that with his extremely high dexterity and sharper senses, Jonathon made a superior driver despite the minor problems caused by his claws.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was after dinner and Danielle was finished with her homework so she went into the public chat room. Dan was there discussing Valentines Day again. After she had been on for about twenty minutes Leo popped in and soon Dan and Leo were debating Valentines Day. Dan thought it was a rather lame marketing ploy. Leo thought it was a good excuse to go out with your significant other.

Danielle called her various friends to alert them then relaxed to enjoy the discussion. She even got involved in the discourse. She was all for Valentines Day regardless of it's origins. The discussion soon spilled over to include the whole concept of holiday celebrations. Dan considered most of them to be either distortions of their original purpose or corporate marketing ploys and should be dropped or returned to their original purpose. Leo generally favored accepting them in their current incarnation and try to merge their origins back in when possible. He thought that regardless of their marketing origins, such things as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentine's Day were good ideas in and of themselves and should be kept as is. Danielle was split down the middle. On some points she was in total agreement with Leo and on others she agreed with Dan. On some of the religious holidays, she pushed her own ideas that diverged from both of them.

After a stimulating hour or so she finally reluctantly signed out. It was getting late and she had things to do.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Around noon on Valentines Day, Jonathon arrived at Danielle's door carrying a large bouquet of a dozen red roses. He and Danielle had plans for an early dinner and the theatre. While Danielle was out of the room, putting the roses in a vase, Jonathon told her parents that he planed to take her to a special concert in the park that evening and they might be a bit late getting back. The concert was to be a surprise.

They had picked a popular restaurant on Broadway and the place was crowded. The restaurant seated them quicker than they had expected, Danielle suspected that Jonathon was being given preferential treatment. As they were being seated they spotted Travis and Tracy at a table near theirs.

After they had been seated they got up and started to head over when they saw Tracy open a small box, squeal and throw her arms around Travis. They looked at each other, smiled, shrugged and continued on over. As they arrived, Travis and Tracy broke from a kiss and looked up. Tracy held up her hand, wiggling her fingers to display the sparkling ring that now decorated her third finger.

After an appropriate amount of gushing and giggling Jonathon and Danielle headed back to their table. A large part of the subsequent dinner conversation revolved around the engagement of their friends. Jonathon told Danielle that he had a special place Below that he wanted to take her to after the play. Danielle tried to get him to tell her where he was planning to take her but he would only tease her with hints.

~ o ~

Later after dinner Jonathon and Danielle headed off to the theatre where a currently popular romantic comedy was playing. As they stood in the lobby they spotted Shania, Pamela, Kevin and Danny. Shania was now going with Danny and Pamela was going with Kevin. The change in pairing had apparently happened over the Christmas holidays. Though she tried, Danielle never got an explanation from Pamela or Shania on how they had ended up with each others boyfriend. She suspected that she never would get the straight story. Danielle passed on the news about Travis and Tracy's engagement. They all sent text messages of congratulations to the newly engaged couple.

By that point Jonathon's presence was beginning to draw attention which made it difficult to carry on a conversation. Then it was announced that the play was about to start and everyone made their way to their seats. They agreed to meet up after the play at their favorite ice-cream shop by the park then they separating to head for their seats.

The play was very good, very funny and very romantic. Danielle had discovered that Jonathon liked romantic comedies as much as she did.

After they left the theatre they headed to the ice cream place where they met up with their friends. Pamela mentioned the Valentine's Day concert in the park. When Danielle asked about it Pamela told her that they were having an evening of romantic music at the Central Park band shell.

~ o ~

After they left their friends they went to the park and walked around for a while until it was about time for the concert to start then he headed towards the band shell. As they approached the band shell Danielle was confused because Jonathon had told her that he was taking her Below and now it looked like he was taking her to the concert. She became more confused when he went right on past the band shell. He continued until they came to a drain runoff gulley and, after a quick look around, took her hand and led her into the large circular concrete pipe. This was such an unusual development, she was beginning to wonder what was really going on here.

Then in a flash of inspiration Danielle thought she understood. Ever since Winterfest she had suspected that there were probably access points inside the park. He stopped in a five-way junction where the blocked off fifth way turned out to be a concealed door. Soon they were making their way down a tunnel that appeared to be headed back towards the band shell. Just about the time she figured they were nearly under the band shell, Jonathon stopped in an eight foot by seven foot rectangular concrete chamber.

Danielle was about to ask Jonathon why they were stopping here when she noticed blankets and pillows scattered on the floor just as she became aware of the sound of instruments tuning up mixed with crowd noises. A light was beginning to dawn.

"This is where Vincent and Catherine used to listen to concerts together." Jonathon informed her. Then he pulled a cooler out from a corner and opened it. Inside it were drinks and snacks.

The concert began just as it was getting dark and soon Jonathon and Danielle were cuddled up together as the romantic music washed over them. As the passion in the music built up so did their own passion. Danielle became aware that she was feeling emotions that were not her own. Jonathon looked at her in surprise just as she realized that they were coming from him. He gently caressed her cheek. "It's the bond." He told her as she felt his joy at this development. Her passion rose to meet the passion she felt in him and for the second time they made love. As intense as the first time had been, this time was so much more. Soon she was feeling his every sensation, even his heartbeat. She became aware that their hearts were beating in unison, then she was in a fast rising spiral of music, emotion and physical sensation that peaked in a rolling thunder of joining.

As they lay together under the blankets exhausted she noticed that she was no longer feeling Jonathon's emotions. Jonathon pulled her in close. "That was the bond but it seems to have faded away now." He kissed her.

"That was fantastic." She replied and kissed him back. The music from the concert continued to wash over them, emphasizing the soft afterglow that continued to engulf them.

Eventually, driven by hunger, they raided the cooler. By the time they had polished off their snack the concert had reached its conclusion. As the sound of the exiting crowd drifted down, Danielle and Jonathon helped each other get dressed amid muffled giggles and gentle caresses.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was time again for mid terms and Jonathon and Danielle were in the school library, deep in their studies. Finally it was late and Danielle decided to head home. Jonathon wanted to finish the current chapter he was on before heading out.

As she was walking toward the subway Danielle became aware of someone following her and became alarmed. If she could make it to the subway station she would be safe. Then a large man stepped out in front of her blocking her path. Her fear skyrocketed as a second later she was grabbed from behind. A cargo vehicle pulled up next to them and the two men dragged her into it. One of the men reached for the door as the other called out "Let's get out of here."

As the door was closing a blur of motion exploded into the vehicle and the men all were suddenly bouncing violently against the walls of the cargo area. There was a jolt and the sound of crunching metal then Jonathon was kneeling over her asking her if she was alright. She looked around to see five unconscious men around her.

She looked up at Jonathon. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." He responded. "I was in the library when suddenly the bond was there and I felt your fear." He got a momentarily far off look in his eyes then looked back at her a bit perplexed. "The link is already fading away." He shrugged. "Anyway I felt your fear and your location so I came for you." He looked around. "Do you recognize any of these men?"

She looked around again. "No I don't."

"This was too well coordinated." There was worry in Jonathon's eyes. "This was planned . . . But why?"

One of the men groaned. Jonathon looked at him, his brows furrowed. "Maybe we can find out." He grabbed the front of the man's shirt as the man groggily opened his eyes. He felt _fear_ and _hate_ from the man and a dark cold rage began boiling up inside Jonathan. He emitted a low menacing growl that sent a shiver down Danielle's spine. The man's eyes opened wide as he whimpered with fear. "Why did you grab her?" Danielle was surprised at the cold, implacable tone of Jonathon's voice and the steel hard look in his eyes. The man looked up and saw his own death reflected in the demon's yellow eyes. The man sputtered, he whimpered, he begged for his life, he pleaded with Jonathon not to drag him to hell. "Death is nothing compared to what I'll do once I get you 'Below'." Jonathon waved his clawed hands before the man's face. "Answer my question."

The man looked over at Danielle then back at Jonathon. "They paid us to do it. Please god help me."

Jonathon shook the man. "Who paid you and why?" The man started invoking God to save him. Jonathon shook the man again. "God can't help you now. It's too late for you. You're already mine. Answer my questions and I may let you go. I won't make this offer again."

Danielle was a bit frightened now. Jonathon seemed to have become the very demon this man thought he was.

"Some Arabs paid us. They told us to snatch the demon's . . . girl and bring her to them." The man seemed to shrink within himself like he was expecting death at any second.

"That's not exactly what they said to you, is it?" Jonathon's voice dripped menace like acid as he glared into the man's eyes. He knew from this man's emotions that the words used had been far harsher and the man was afraid that Jonathon knew. The man cringed even further as Jonathon reined in his anger. "But we'll let that slide for now. Where were you to take her."

The man barely squeaked out. "A warehouse."

Jonathon pulled him closer. "And where is this warehouse?" The man broke completely and was spilling every detail of where, when and how. When it looked like the man had run out of details, Jonathon growled again and the man passed out.

Jonathon let the man slide to the floor then sat back against the wall of the vehicle his legs drawn up and his arms wrapped around his knees. When Danielle could bring herself to look at Jonathon, he was shaking and staring into space. She saw deep pain and even horror in his eyes. Finally she reached out to touch him. "Jonathon?" He blinked at her a couple of times then buried his head against his knees and groaned. "Jonathon!" She shook him making him look up at her.

"I . . . I never thought myself capable of . . . that." He glanced over at the man. "What I did felt so bad so . . . wrong." He glanced at her momentarily then back at the man. "His hate and his terror was like a knife that went right through me. That man really thought I was a demon and I found myself fitting right into his delusion. It was terrible." He glanced back at her the pain in his eyes tore at her heart. "Even you were horrified by what I did." He looked away.

She wanted him to know that what had happened didn't change how she felt about him. After a moment's hesitation she reached out, grabbed his face and kissed him as thoroughly as she could, trying to put all of her love for him into it. When she pulled back the pain in his eyes had been replaced by surprise. "You saved me." She stated simply. She glanced around at the unconscious men. "We should call the police and turn these thug's in."

Jonathon called Clarissa's husband Phillip and told him what had happened. A half hour later he showed up with two police cruisers, a prisoner transport and four additional detectives. A quick check verified that the damage done to the cargo van when it had hit the tree was minor. Philip had one of the cruisers take Jonathon and Danielle home. He told them that he would deal with the ones that had paid for the attempted abduction.

They stopped at Danielle's home first. Jonathon still looked a bit dazed and she insisted that he come in with her. Once inside she told her parent's what had happened. Michael immediately called William. A half hour later William and Patricia arrived at Danielle's home.

_**Continued in Part 14**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	14. Life Changes

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 14 : Life Changes**

It was horrible." Jonathon told them, shame in his voice as he looked up at those around him. "Far worse than that time in Professor Daniels office. I felt the darkness inside me taking over. I knew what I was doing and I didn't care. I terrorized that man. I **became** the demon that he feared."

William could feel the _shame_ and _self loathing_ that was building within his son and knew that he must help his son get past it or it would continue eating at him until it took over.

William opened his mouth but before he could speak, Michael responded. "You were protecting Danielle. I would have done the same thing. Anyone of us would have done the same in your place."

William finally spoke. "I understand what you went through. We all have that dark side to our natures and it can rise up when we are protecting the ones we love. You have both the advantage and the disadvantage of knowing exactly what effect you are having on others." He placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "I went through something similar when I rescued your mother from a gang of thugs in Central Park. Your brother went through it in spades when he rescued Alexandra and killed those terrorists. It is frightening what we are capable of under such conditions."

As he listened to William, Michael figured it was about time he repaid at least a small part of the debt he owed this family and jumped in. "Of course you are horrified by what you are capable of doing . . . what you did do. But understand that in similar circumstances I could be just as vicious and deadly as you. I have been." Jonathon and William both looked at him in surprise. He glanced over at William momentarily and took a deep breath, then he continued. "Where you use claws, strength and physical appearance, I used guns, knives and clubs." He paused, his eyes boring into Jonathon's. "What I did as a teenager, I did merely to feed my hate. What you did, you did for love of another. In my book that puts you several notches above me on the side of good."

Danielle saw her mother gently take her father's hand and interlace her fingers in his.

Michael glanced over at his wife with a soft smile for her understanding and support, then he looked back at Jonathon. "If you are looking for condemnation for your actions, you won't find it here . . . only gratitude." He glanced over at Danielle. "To be honest I am amazed at the restraint you showed. None of those men were seriously injured. I can not begin to understand what it was like for you, but I do know that you did the right thing, what you had to do. I don't think I would have been that merciful. Just consider that you stopped those men from hurting Danielle and, I suspect, prevented something far more sinister from happening. You must put those bad feelings behind you. Part of growing up is learning to deal with our darker side and not letting it rule us." He gripped Jonathon's shoulder. "You used that dark side of yourself only as much as necessary, then put it away. That's part of being an adult."

Danielle glanced over at her father in admiration. She had seen the slow change in Jonathon's eyes as her father had begun to get through to him. She also was aware that, surprisingly, she was feeling just a hint of Jonathon's emotions. She started to let her love for Jonathon and pride in him flow through her and saw his reaction to it in his eyes and felt a faint echo of it in her mind.

After awhile Danielle's and Jonathon's parents went into another room and left them to be alone while they talked over what had happened. The one thing that had remained unsaid, though it was obvious to everyone, was that it was because of her association with Jonathon that they had attempted the abduction. When he brought that up, she told him quite bluntly that she didn't care about that. She loved him. So he was stuck with her and she was counting on him to be there to keep her safe.

Finally William, Patricia and Jonathon headed for home. Once they were gone, Danielle confronted her parents about the connection between her relationship and what had happened.

"Mom, Dad," She began. "I know what you're thinking. It's because of my connection with Jonathan that this happened. I know that my relationship with him puts me in some difficult situations . . . dangerous situations." She took a breath, defiance in her eyes and her posture. "I don't care about that and I'm not going to let it scare me off."

Both her parents looked back at her, surprised at the intensity of her attitude. Michael responded. "I will admit that your mother and I have both thought about this, even worried about it sometimes. We have even talked about it a few times." He looked over at his wife. "Being involved with Jonathon puts you squarely in the middle of a very precarious situation. On one side you have dangerous prejudice and superstition to deal with. On the other you have deadly terrorists. We both love you and we don't want you hurt . . ."

Danielle jumped in, her eyes flashing with determination. "It doesn't matter. I love Jonathon and I'm not going to abandon him. Nothing is going to change my mind."

Michael reached out and grasped her shoulder. "We know that honey. We understand. As I was saying, we both love you and we don't want you hurt," He held up his other hand to forestall her when she opened her mouth. "**But**, We both however agreed that this was your decision and we support your determination to not let it affect things between you and Jonathon." He glanced over at his wife. "We believe in your judgment and we believe in Jonathon's love for you." He released Danielle and took Julie's hand as his gaze bored into Danielle. "It's people like you, with the strength of their convictions, that gives me hope for the rest of us."

~ ( BatB ) ~

The next evening Jonathon and Danielle met with Phillip at the police station where they gave their official statements.

Phillip filled them in on what had happened. "We substituted undercover police officers for those five men and Danielle. Then they met the ones that had paid for it and we got it all on video. They wanted to use Danielle as leverage against Jonathon to use him to get to Alexandra. She is apparently too well protected to get to directly. Then they were going to use Alexandra to get to Alexander. It was all part of an assassination plot that would also have discredited the Wells-Chandlers and lay the blame for it on you and Alexander. They seriously miscalculated when they didn't take the bond into account."

He glanced at a folder he was holding. "Those five men were all religious fanatics and not too bright." He shook his head. "They never realized that snatching a member of Alexander's family is like waving a beacon and saying here I am, come get me. Anyways, thanks to you the plot was foiled before it ever got off the ground and we have been able to trace their connections to a high ranking leader in the terrorism network." He smiled. "The news release coming out this evening on the case will not only expose the plot but will make it impossible for them to get any credibility if they try anything like that again." He shook both their hands. "We have damaged the terrorist's public image even further and scored a significant strategic win in the war on terrorism, thanks to you."

~ ( BatB ) ~

The next few days were taken up with mid-terms. Then it was time for Spring Break. Jonathon and Danielle both went down to Washington D.C. to visit her grandparents and his brother and sister-in-law. Alexandra had called the night before they left to inform everyone that she was pregnant. When they arrived Danielle informed Alexandra that Norman had been so happy he had very nearly danced a jig when told about the pregnancy last night.

Jonathon stayed with Alexander and Alexandra. Danielle stayed with her grandparents. Each day they would get together for a day of sight seeing and entertainment. The evenings were alternated between families. The last half of the week Alexander and Scott Myers had to go to California with the President.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was in the library working on her American History paper when she got a text message that Dan and Leo were on-line again. She checked but she didn't have her wireless module for her laptop so she headed over to the section of the library where the public computers were set up. As she entered the room she spotted Jonathon over at one of the computers in the farthest back corner. She immediately went over to him and saw that he was in the chat room. With a quick scan of the screen she saw that Dan and Leo were on the subject of the war against the terrorists and they seemed to be in complete agreement. Dan was currently expounding on the recent invasion of the last of the sanctuary countries.

Jonathon started typing and, to Danielle's surprise, his words appeared under Leo49. She sat down next to him. "I thought Leo was Doctor Logan's ID." She whispered to Jonathon in disbelief.

Jonathon hit his [Enter] button as he chuckled. "It **is** her's." He glanced at Danielle, smiling. "I got into a conversation with her the beginning of last October and told her about my problems with Professor Daniels. She suggested I try talking to him on-line. I told her I had tried but he always signed off as soon as I signed on. That's when she suggested that I use her chat room ID when I want to talk to him. Otherwise I use my own ID." He started typing again in response to Professor Daniels' response to a third party. When he finished he turned his attention back to Danielle. "At the beginning of this semester she told me that she had enjoyed the Dan and Leo debates and I was welcome to continue using her ID for those debates. . . at least while I'm still a student here."

"And she doesn't mind that your views sometimes disagree with hers?" Danielle asked.

"She said I was free to express my opinions as long as I didn't embarrass her or try to cause trouble. She told me that our debates had provided her with a lot of fodder for her classes." He replied. "By the way, remember that only Doctor Logan and I are supposed to know about this, so mum's the word." He was again typing.

Danielle was startled by the sound of a chuckle coming from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see the very same Doctor Logan standing behind her and smiling. "Actually the Smithsonian archivist also knows that you and Daniels are the true authors and that is how it is recorded in their records. What's the subject this time, Jonathon?" She asked.

"The war on Terror." He replied.

Doctor Jeannie Logan moved to Jonathon's other side and sat down. "Hello, Danielle." She said quietly.

"Hello, Doctor Logan." Danielle shrugged her shoulders and settled back to watch and enjoy the debate which had now taken on a whole new dimension for her. Soon she and Doctor Logan were both having to stifle their laughter at some of the more pointed comments by both Dan and Leo.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle's mother was getting just a tiny bit frayed around the edges. Wayne and Kay's wedding was just two weeks away and she was beginning to feel the tension. After a few minutes of watching her fidgeting in the kitchen, Danielle commented to her. "If Wayne's wedding is this hard on you, how are you ever going to manage to handle it when I get married?"

Julie looked at her daughter a moment then shook her head with a quick half snort of a laugh. "I have no idea."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and I'll elope." She responded.

"Don't you dare rob me of my one legitimate excuse to go totally bonkers." She laughed, easing some of the tension. Danielle's little brother, Mathew, entered the house with a girl in tow. She was a new girlfriend that he had met in one of his classes. He wanted her to meet the family and show her off. She was a very sweet person and Danielle liked her immediately. After a short time getting to know her, Mathew and his girl left on their movie date.

"When it rains, it pours." Julie remarked as she gazed at the closed front door. "But it was bound to happen eventually."

"At least she's nice." Remarked Danielle. "Remember the first girl Wayne brought home?"

Julie shivered. "Ooooo, that one is burned into my memory. I thought your father was going to blow his top or have a heart attack. I have never seen him turn that red before or since."

"I thought there was going to be an all out war between Daddy and Wayne." Danielle laughed. "At least Wayne came to his senses fairly quickly and dumped her."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Jonathon, there to pick up Danielle for their date. Before they left, Jonathon informed them that just this morning they had got the news that Alexandra was carrying twins. He told them the news had certainly caused a bit of excitement at both the Chandler-Wells and the Holt households. After they left Danielle's mother smiled and mumbled to herself. "Neither of your brothers can hold a candle to you when it comes to bringing home the most unusual date."

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle stood beside Jonathon as they threw rice at the new bride and groom. The wedding had gone off smoothly in large part because Jonathon and Danielle had made it their mission to see to it. As the limo carrying her brother and new sister-in-law pulled away, Jonathon interlaced his fingers through hers and kissed her hand.

Then she heard her other brother's voice behind her.

They turned around and were faced with her younger brother Mathew and his new girlfriend. She was just a little bit afraid of Jonathon and tried to keep Mathew between them.

Jonathon displayed the half smile that didn't show his fangs. "Mathew, I don't think I've met your friend."

Mathew put his arm around her and drew her to his side. "This is my friend, Lou Gallagher."

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Gallagher." Jonathon nodded to her.

Between Jonathon's voice and Mathew's protective arm around her, Lou slowly began to lose some of her fear. "Thank-you." She responded meekly.

"Danielle and I are going to an ice-cream place over by Central Park. Would you and Mathew like to come with us?" He asked them. He glanced at Danielle. "We would both enjoy your company."

"I've heard about that place. DeeDee said that it's a great place." Mathew looked over at his girl. "How about it Lou?"

She glanced back and forth nervously between Jonathon and Mathew. "Uh . . . well . . . OK?"

"Great." Jonathon responded and they headed out.

~ o ~

As they sat in the decades old Kalyane's Ice Cream Parlor and talked, Danielle could see Lou gradually lose her nervousness and warm up to Jonathon. The discovery that she had a passion for Shakespeare went a long way to easing tensions.

You just didn't grow up in the tunnels, like Jonathon had, without learning all about, and developing an appreciation for, Shakespeare. Jonathon was particularly fond of Shakespeare's comedies and was delighted to find a fellow fan of the bard.

Before long Jonathon and Lou were discussing the finer points of 'The Taming of the Shrew'. Danielle and Mathew just observed the exchange in silence. They were completely out of their depth on this particular subject. Jonathon mentioned that Shakespeare in the Park was doing 'Twelfth Night' next weekend and suggested that they all go together. Lou was all for it and Mathew and Danielle were obliged to go along.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was the first day of testimony on the trial of the fanatics and terrorists that had tried to kidnap Danielle. She and Jonathon both spent a grueling day on the stand. The defense attorney had been particularly vicious but Danielle had stood her ground and he had been unable to shake her.

During the cross examination of Jonathon, the defense attorney tried to discredit him by playing up his alienness to turn the jury against him. Jonathon however used his differences to his advantage and soon had torn the lawyers arguments to shreds.

Every time the defense lawyer tried to trap or twist Jonathon around, he would sense the lawyer's emotional buildup and easily outmaneuver him. The lawyer finally realized that Jonathon was anticipating his every move and countering it so he quickly dismissed him from the stand.

As he left the stand Jonathon could feel as well as see the hate and fear in the eyes of the defense attorney who had never encountered someone that could so easily anticipate and out flank him like Jonathon had done.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The news media was full of the trial of the terrorists and the fanatics that had been involved in the kidnapping attempt on Danielle and the subsequent assassination plot. The reports of Jonathon and Danielle's testimonies had caused quite a stir of outrage over the attempted kidnapping in the media. As details of the plan to pin the blame on the Wells-Chandlers came out, it created a lot of sympathy for Jonathon and his family. President Carlton made a statement condemning such a cowardly plan.

Danielle turned off the video in disgust. "How could they think they would get away with it?"

"There are still some that are not really sure about them yet." Lou responded a bit sheepishly. "Like I was until I got to meet Jonathon in person." She shrugged. "I still feel a tiny bit nervous when I see those claws. I can't help it."

"But you don't let it rule your judgment." Mathew declared proudly.

"It's hard to dislike someone that loves Shakespeare." Lou remarked.

Mathew shrugged. "If you say so." He wasn't too sure about this Shakespeare stuff, but if Lou liked it he would go along.

"I barely knew Shakespeare existed until Jonathon dragged us to see 'Mid Summers Night Dream' last summer." Shania added with a laugh as she leaned into Danny.

"Used to be, unless it had something to do with the Creature of Central Park, you just weren't interested." Pamela teased.

Jonathon came down the great spiral stairway. "It's just about time to head out. You guys ready to go?"

They all responded yes.

Together they headed out the door and across the street to the park. It was a beautiful Spring day and they all enjoyed the walk through the park. Danielle had begun developing an interest in Shakespeare since last summer and Jonathon had given her some advanced coaching about today's play so she was looking forward to the performance.

~ o ~

The play had been delightful and even Mathew had enjoyed it. Danielle and Lou were discussing the similarities between Viola in '**Twelfth Night**' and Rosalind in '**As You Like It'**. First Mathew then Lou got very surprised looks on their faces. Then Danielle noticed that all of her friends were grinning as they gazed at something behind her, and turned around. Jonathon was holding a bouquet of a dozen roses, that he had not had a few seconds ago, and grinning wide enough to show all four fangs.

"It is exactly one year ago today that we met on that plane to D.C." He handed the roses to her. "You changed my life that day and made it so much better."

She took the roses and breathed in their aroma, then she became aware of something bumping against the back of her hand. She turned the bouquet around and saw that the ribbon around the stems had a ring attached to it. She looked up in surprise to see Jonathon on one knee before her. "Danielle, everything in my life is better, brighter, more alive, when I'm with you and I never want to be without you. Will you honor me with your hand in marriage?"

For nearly ten seconds Danielle stood there stunned. Then when the tension was becoming unbearable she shook off her paralysis. She looked into his golden eyes. "Yes." She replied simply. Then, to the cheers of her friends, she threw her arms around him and they kissed.

_**Continued in Part 15**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	15. Permutations

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 15 : Permutations**

Danielle's heart soared as she accepted Jonathon's proposal to the cheers of all her friends. Her hands were so shaky she could barely hold on to the bouquet he had given her much less free the ring from the ribbon. Then Jonathon took the matter into his own hands. As he freed the ring from the ribbon around the bouquet her curiosity rose up and she asked. "But where did these come from? I know you didn't have these roses ten seconds ago."

"Some street kid in layers of patched clothes handed it to him while your back was turned." Melanie responded shaking her head. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it."

Jonathon slipped the ring onto her finger and again they were kissing. Danielle felt something extra, a hint of sensation. They broke and she looked at him in surprise. "Was that . . ."

"It was the bond." He stated. "It's there but just barely." Again they were embracing and kissing. Again she could feel a hint of his emotions and sensations.

~ o ~

As they walked hand in hand through the park, Danielle kept glancing at the ring on her finger then up at Jonathon's face. She took another deep breath, inhaling the fragrance from the bouquet she was still carrying. It all seemed like a dream come true. After a round of congratulations, their friends had all gone off and left them on their own. She glanced around and discovered that they had ended up at the 'Forever' monument.

Jonathon suddenly drew her off the path into the woods. Then he was leading her into a storm drain runoff culvert like the one by the band shell. The next thing she knew they were at a hidden door very similar to the other one.

"Do all the storm drains have secret doors in them?" She asked in surprise.

Jonathon laughed. "No. There are only three entrances located in the culverts. This one is the north park entrance, the one by the band shell is the south park entrance, and there is one way over by Columbus Circle that is very rarely used. There is also one inside Belvedere Castle that was built specifically for Catherine and Vincent. It's part of a secret chamber that overlooks the Delacorte Theater." As he took her hand she saw a fire in his golden eyes that made her own temperature rise.

Soon they were in Jonathon's old chamber in the tunnels. He lowered the tapestry across the opening and they were in each others arms. He gently took the roses from her hands and placed them on the desk then he drew her into the second chamber. Freed from any need for restraint they were soon deep in the throws of passionate lovemaking. They were rapidly approaching the peak when they were both hit by it. Like a tidal wave they each felt the others emotions flooding into them pushing them beyond anything they could have imagined. They were surfing on a wave of sensations that continued to roll on forever. Then it was over too soon and they lay in each others arms, exhausted, spent, contented, happy.

As she lay there, she became aware that she was still feeling Jonathon's emotions though not as strongly as a few seconds earlier. She looked over at Jonathon in surprise. He smiled at her, his eyes alight with wonder. "That is the bond." He combed his fingers through her hair. "It seems we are permanently joined now." He kissed her. "You're stuck with me, heart and soul . . . Do you mind?"

She smiled as she kissed him back. "Not if you don't mind being stuck with me." The surprising thing was that she didn't mind. Ever since finding out about the bond she had feared the possibility of such an invasion of her privacy. Now that it had happened she actually welcomed it. It made her feel even closer to him. "Is it going to fade away again?" She asked, suddenly afraid that it would.

"I don't think so." He shook his head. "It seems to be permanent this time."

His answer made her happy. She knew that she would never be alone, ever again. He would always be there for her.

~ o ~

Jonathon and Danielle entered the brownstone late that evening and were surprised to see her parents sitting in the parlor with Jonathon's parents. They all had large grins on their faces. Julie spoke first. "William called us a couple of hours ago and told us that something momentous had happened." She was looking at Danielle's hand and her smile widened. "I can see he was right."

William spoke up. "I caught a very faint echo when the bond formed between you two." Danielle turned bright red and looked down, leaning into Jonathon. William chuckled. "Yes, I caught a hint of that to."

Danielle buried her face in Jonathon's chest as she heard a choking snort from her father and a tiny, "Oh, my," from her mother.

Patricia laughed. "I'm afraid it's all part of being involved with a family of empaths." Danielle shyly looked up to see Patricia now standing right in front of her. "Why don't I put those roses in water for you." She suggested as she gently took the bouquet from her hand.

Her mother stood up and approached, gave her a hug then took her hand and drew her over to the long sofa. "You both look a bit overwhelmed. Why don't you come over and sit down."

Soon they were all sitting around talking about the future. When asked, when they were planning to do it, Danielle was unsure. Jonathon suggested next spring after they both become juniors in college. The idea was enthusiastically accepted and William brought out a bottle of wine to celebrate.

As they were talking about what type of wedding Danielle might want, Michael remarked. "It's so strange getting used to the idea that my little girl has become so grown up and is now engaged . . . etcetera." Danielle again blushed at the way her father had said 'etcetera' and her mother's resultant giggle. Apparently they knew more than she had thought.

The house phone rang and Patricia jumped up to answer it.

"Hello?" . . .

"Karen, how great to hear from you." . . .

"What is it?" . . .

"Ah . . . You . . . Wha . . ."

The phone hit the floor with a clatter as Patricia stood there with a look of stunned surprise on her face. William bounded over and retrieved the phone from the floor.

"Karen? What is it?" . . .

William slowly lowered the phone with an equally dumfounded look on his face. After a few moments William began to chuckle. Then it turned into a full belly laugh as Patricia shook herself and took the phone from Williams's hand.

"Karen?" . . .

"Yes that's your father. Jonathon and Danielle just became engaged today." . . .

"Yes I know." . . .

"I guess timing is everything." . . .

"When will it be?" . . .

"Of course we will." . . .

"Yes, talk to you later. Bye."

She hung up the phone and patted William's shoulder. "It's ok, Dear. I'm sure we'll survive this."

"What was that all about?" Jonathon and Julie both asked at the same time.

William answered as he followed his wife back over to the sofa. "That was Karen. She called to tell us that she and Scott, that Secret Service agent she's been seeing, are engaged." He shook his head.

"Scott asked her at lunch today." Patricia took over. "They're planning to have the wedding the middle of July. She said they hope to get the invitations out week after next. They just have to get all the reservations set first."

"It seems to be the something in the air." Julie remarked. "We just married off our oldest."

William started chuckling again and Patricia looked at him curiously. "What are you laughing about now?"

William looked back at her with a merry twinkle in his eyes. "Do you realize that both our boys proposed the week before their bride's birthdays?"

~ ( BatB ) ~

The news of Danielle's engagement spread through the campus like wildfire. For several weeks it was the major topic of conversation. Then the end of the semester was rapidly approaching and it was again time for finals.

Once again everyone was deep into studying for their finals. Shania had been doing better this semester and Danielle had sailed through the semester with very little effort. By the time finals started they were both confident in their knowledge.

Shania managed to actually ace all her finals much to her mother's delight. Danielle, Shania and all their friends gathered at their favorite Ice-cream place to celebrate. Shania informed them that she and Danny were going with a large group of other classmates to Las Vegas next week to commemorate the end of the semester and the beginning of Summer and to blow off some steam.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle, Pamela, Melanie, Jonathon, Kevin and Scott Monroe, were all over at Danielle's house. They had just gotten home from the theater where they had seen the new movie that was based on the beginnings of Vincent and Catherine's relationship. The movie had been quite good and reasonably faithful to Brigit O'Donnell's book. The only inaccuracy was that the movie had Vincent living in an abandoned office building and using the subway tunnels to get around. Danielle and Jonathon were the only ones though that knew the truth.

Danielle's phone signaled and Danielle answered it. Everyone was startled when Danielle burst out with a very emphatic "**What?**" and followed it with an only slightly less emphatic, "What happened?" They were all looking at her expectantly when she hung up. Danielle blinked twice then shook her head in stunned disbelief. She looked up into everyone eles curious expressions and spoke haltingly. "That was Shania calling from Las Vegas . . . She and Danny got married last night." She shook her head. "Apparently, according to Nia, there was alcohol involved . . . a lot of alcohol. They woke up this morning in the same bed with roaring hangovers and plastic wedding rings on their fingers and a Las Vegas marriage license with a wedding photo from a place called 'Chapel-o-Love' taped to the vanity mirror. Neither one of them clearly remembers the actual wedding."

"You're kidding." Melanie exclaimed through a stifled laugh.

"That's what Nia told me. They were on a winning streak when they got drunk in the casino and then, apparently, they went out and got married."

"What are they going to do about it?" Pamela asked.

"Nia said she didn't know yet. She still has to tell her mother." Danielle replied.

"That should be an interesting conversation." Scott remarked.

"I'm sure we'll hear all about it when they get back." Jonathon added. Danielle could feel a hint of _concern_ from him.

~ ( BatB ) ~

When Shania and Danny returned they were still wearing the plastic wedding rings. Shania told them that, though marriage had never been a part of their plans, she and Danny had decided to try to make a go of it. At least they had come back with a sizable nest egg from their winnings to start off with. Apparently it was during the celebration of winning a Jackpot that they got drunk and married. They still couldn't really remember the wedding itself.

Two weeks after they got back, Jonathon arranged for them to have a slightly more formal ceremony in the brownstone's roof top garden.

Shania's mother later told Jonathon. "I can't tell you how very grateful I am to you for doing all this for my, rather foolish, daughter." She glanced over at her daughter and Danny. "I just hope they aren't making a mistake. My daughter is still pretty young and sometimes I worry about her."

Jonathon responded to her. "I don't think you need worry about Shania, Ms Clemmons. I believe they will be OK. I can sense their feelings. They may not be totally head over heels in love, but they both really care a great deal for each other and they are already very close friends. Both of them believe in what they are doing and they believe in each other. Many successful marriages have been built on far less. We all care about them both and we will be here to help them if they need it."

She thanked him again and they went down to the parlor to join the rest for the reception.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was sitting next to Jonathon, her head nestled against his shoulder as the plane lifted off from the runway. Behind them sat William, his nose plastered to the window, Patricia, smiling in amusement, and Victoria, her nose buried in a book. Tomorrow they would all be attending the wedding of Karen and her Secret Service Agent.

She was thinking about all the different couplings she had seen, from Alexander and Alexandra's super formal wedding in Central Park, full of important dignitaries from all over the world, to her best friend's drunken nuptials in Las Vegas about a month ago, to the sweet little roof top wedding Jonathon had arranged for them later. Then there was the more traditional church wedding of her older brother last Spring. Now they were off to Washington D.C. to attend another wedding and of course there was her own wedding planed for next spring.

Thinking of Shania's wedding reminded her of the big fight last week. Shania and Danny had started off arguing about some financial crisis. Somehow it had snowballed into a major blowup that involved all of their problems including the original drunken wedding. Jonathon had stepped in and helped them both to work it all out. He actually made a pretty damn good marriage councilor. Jonathon was almost as close to Shania as Danielle was and he really cared about her welfare. Danielle suspected that if she were not in the picture, Jonathon and Shania might have ended up together. She smiled at that concept. Shania and Danny were together and, in some part thanks to Jonathon, they were happy. She and Jonathon were together and, thanks to the bond they now shared, she knew that they were both very happy as well.

Next week Danny would be starting a part time job at an accounting company over on the New Jersey side of the Hudson. It was the same company she had been working a summer internship at. She liked the place and was considering working part time there as a possibility while she finished up her degree.

There was an engineering company out on Long Island that Jonathon had been talking to about going to work for after they were married. The place was a major contractor on the Moonbase Spaceport project. Jonathon was very excited about it.

All in all she had no complaints. She looked up as one of the plane's crew members came by to greet them.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Summer was rapidly approaching its end and soon it would be back to school. Danielle was lying in her bed feeling the ebb and flow of Jonathon's emotions. They had toyed with the option of moving in together but had decided to wait a while yet before taking that step. They were already together in a more intimate way, thanks to the bond, than most married couples. She felt a surge of _amusement_ from Jonathon. She smiled. She knew that he had been reading a series of humorous science fiction stories recently. Something about Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by some guy with a strange name of Spider something.

She projected her love to him, something she had recently learned to do, and felt his response. Then she drifted off to sleep thinking about how different her life was turning out, and how most of the best changes and adventures had been a direct result of knowing Jonathon.

_**Continued in Part 16**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	16. New Life

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 16 : New Life**

Danielle was visiting Shania at her new apartment. It was a small one bed room efficiency in the Bronx but it was hers and Danny's. They had just moved into it last week. Jonathon had helped them find the place through the network of helpers. Though they had a nice chunk of money that they had brought back from Vegas it had been steadily dwindling and they had decided to put what was left in savings and pair down their expenses. All of Danielle's and Shania's friends had done what they could to help them get started. Danny was now working full time at the accounting firm and was planning to take one night class this coming semester. He had insisted that Shania continue going to college full time for as long as they could afford it. The most difficult part was learning to live within a budget and avoid dipping into their savings.

Danielle had noticed something a little off about her friend and finally had to ask. "Nia, is there something wrong? You seem to be a bit distracted."

Shania looked at her for a moment before responding. "It's . . . well . . . It's just . . ." She stopped and took a deep breath. "DeeDee, I think I'm pregnant."

"This is good news isn't it?" Danielle was uncertain how her friend was feeling.

"I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to have kids." Shania looked unsure.

"Are you sure you're pregnant?" Danielle asked. "Have you seen a doctor? How far along are you?"

"I'm pretty sure but I haven't seen a doctor yet." She paused. "I think it happened in Vegas."

Danielle suggested that they go see Jonathon. If she was that far along then Jonathon would know for sure. Jonathon confirmed her pregnancy and congratulated her. Danny was very surprised when Shania told him but he took it well and they went out to dinner to celebrate.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was fall and Danielle and her friends began their third semester of college. Danielle, Shania and Jonathon ended up having four classes together. Danny got a promotion at the accounting firm he was working at and they were paying for his schooling. Danielle was working fifteen hours a week at the same company. Jonathon was taking two extra Engineering courses this semester trying to beef up his skills for when he met the people of the engineering firm next year. Melanie and Scott only had one class together but they had both gotten part time jobs at the same local department store. Pamela and Kevin were the only ones of her friends, besides Jonathon, that didn't have part time jobs by the time the new semester started.

Danielle and her friends were all putting in a lot of time just getting their lives lined up. They saw each other less often except in common classes at school. That turned out to be the connection that held them together.

Danielle was still amazed by the bond between herself and Jonathon. Instead of the source of embarrassment and restriction that she had once feared it would be, it had turned out to be a source of strength and security. Even when they could not be together Jonathon was always there for her. They were far closer to each other than most couples that had been married for years.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was during a quiz in the second week of one of their classes together that Jonathon's gift became an issue. Their teacher had been a little unsure about it at first, but Jonathon had set his mind more or less at ease. The teacher had been wandering up and down the aisles during the test. He had stopped momentarily beside Jonathon when he suddenly flipped his test paper face down and looked up at the teacher.

"Professor Harrison, if you stand there you will be giving me the answers to the test." He said quietly.

"You said that you can't read my mind." Professor Harrison remarked a bit suspiciously.

"I can't read your thoughts but I can sense your emotions. For instance I felt your reaction to the answer I just wrote down and know that it is wrong." He looked back down at his paper. "I have never had anything like this happen before until now or I would have warned you about it."

Professor Harrison looked back at Jonathon in surprise. "I wouldn't have thought of that either . . . Thank-you for your honesty."

As Professor Harrison started to turn away, Jonathon again spoke. "Ah, Professor." As he turned back around Jonathon looked over at Danielle. She could feel the _question_ in his mind and knew that the same thing had occurred to him that she had just realized. She nodded her acceptance to him then looked at the professor who had not missed this quiet exchange. He continued. "Sir you should know that because of a link Danielle and I share, the same thing would happen if you were to look at her paper during the test." He shrugged.

Professor Harrington looked back and forth between them. "I see." He again glanced back and forth between them. "If you have the free time I would like to speak to both of you after class." He glanced at the rest of the class and moved away from Jonathon and Danielle while admonishing the rest of the class. "Everyone back to your test." Then he went back to his desk.

As soon as Professor Harrison moved away Jonathon turned his test back over and continued. He knew the question he had just answered was wrong and, after a few seconds thought, came up with another answer that he thought was correct. He left the incorrect answer but wrote what he thought was the correct answer below it.

Professor Harrison spent the rest of the test watching Jonathon and Danielle. At one point while he watched he saw Danielle smile and give a quiet half chuckle. Jonathon glanced over at her for a half second then went back to his test. A minute later Jonathon grinned and Danielle glanced over at him. Professor Harrison always put a question near the middle of his tests that was only there to make the student laugh. It was there to lighten the mood and it also helped him gage how far along the class was in the test. In this case it had also supplied evidence that there really was a link between Jonathon and Danielle. At another point he saw Danielle look over at Jonathon with a bit of a worried look. Jonathon was frowning down at his test as though he was struggling with one of the questions.

After class he talked for a while to them about Jonathon's empathic gift and about the bond between him and Danielle. Some of the discussion was about how it affected his class work, in general very little, and some of it was about how it affected his and Danielle's relationship. He knew about their engagement. When he graded their tests he could see similarities between their answers. In the end he decided that it looked more to him like the similarities of students that studied together rather than evidence of cheating. He could also see the point where Danielle had looked at him with concern. He had obviously struggled with his answer and still got it wrong. Danielle had gotten that one correct.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was the first week in October when Jonathon got the news that Alexandra had delivered identical twin baby boys. That evening Danielle was over at Jonathon's place and they were looking at the babies on the parlor's big screen video. Alexandra's family was there also. Norman was still wheelchair bound but he had been getting stronger.

On the video they saw two very cute babies. They had their mother's jet black hair color and sky blue eyes and their father's unmistakable leonine features. Alexandra's parents were planning to fly down to D.C. tomorrow and stay with Alexandra for a few weeks. Norman was not yet up to that kind of exertion so he was going to stay with Jonathon's family while Robert and Kate were in D.C.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was over at Shania's place talking about babies in general and Alexandra's in particular when they got a call from Melanie telling them that Dan and Leo were on-line. They got on Shania's computer and were soon engrossed in the debate. The subject was the Wells-Chandlers and Alexander's two new sons. Some group was calling for the sterilization of the Wells-Chandlers because they were polluting the human gene pool. Dan disagreed, saying that it was not the government's business to control anyone's right to have children. This was the first time Dan and Leo had ever been in agreement on an issue regarding the Wells-Chandlers.

Shania remarked that it was a shame that Jonathon couldn't get involved in this particular debate. Danielle smiled to herself as she agreed. They both got involved in the discussion after a while.

After the on-line discussion ended Danielle showed Shania some pictures of Jonathon's new nephews. Shania admitted that sometimes she envied Danielle's relationship with Jonathon then the conversation moved on to talk about Shania's current pregnant state and her plans for the future. Her due date was the middle of March so she was going to take only online courses or self paced courses next semester. Shania admitted that Danny was a little nervous about becoming a father. He liked the idea of being a father but he didn't really feel ready for that kind of responsibility.

Danielle reassured her friend that they would both do just fine when the time came. Then the conversation wandered into the realm of current politics.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle had arrived at the Chandler-Wells home with several of her friends. As they entered the home she experienced a moment of surprised shock as she looked upon what she thought was a totally naked Jonathon standing in the middle of the parlor. Then as Melanie and Shania broke out in giggles she realized that he was too fat, he had a tail, the fur on his body was way too thick and certain more private parts were not in evidence. It turned out that he was wearing a lion costume without the mask and gloves. The costume was a pretty close match to his own natural coloring.

Jonathon shrugged at their reaction. "Well, in the movie, the cowardly lion has no clothes. He remarked defiantly.

Danielle was dressed in a blue gingham dress and glittering red slippers as Dorothy. Melanie was dressed as Glenda the good witch of the north. Shania was the wicked witch of the west, although that particular character had not been quite so pretty or pregnant in the movie. Kevin was the tin woodsman and Scott was the scarecrow. Pamela was dressed as an oversized munchkin. Danny was working so he had been unable to come.

There was a costume party and free concert at Central Park tonight and they had all decided to go as characters from The Wizard of Oz. As soon as everyone was organized they headed across the street into the park, then they walked south to the band shell where the party and concert were to be held.

Once they arrived Danielle was amused to notice that there were three Beauty and the Beast couples. Two of the couples were relatives of Jonathon doing the Catherine and Vincent look. The third couple was unknown to her and was doing the Disney version of the characters. Those that knew Jonathon were a bit surprised at first until they realized that he did have a costume on.

There were several Halloween themed booths set up selling food and other merchandise. There was also various carnival games set up as well. When Jonathon tried the baseball and bottle game he quickly realized how it was rigged. On his third try he reared back and threw the ball so hard that it broke the dowel holding the third bottle and left the underweight ball badly misshapen. He did get the large stuffed lion for Danielle though. She said it would have to do until she got the real thing.

At one point they ran into a rude man that made abusive comments about Jonathon and the Wells-Chandlers. Jonathon realized that he was drunk and _very_ _unhappy_ about something. With a little perseverance, he was able to get the man safely off to the side and calmed down. Then he located a friend of the man who could get him home. The friend apologized, telling them that the man had recently lost his wife and his job. Jonathon gave the man's friend the name of a helper that he knew could give the man a job.

Everyone had a lot of fun and the music was very good.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Thanksgiving was split between Danielle's family and Jonathon's family. One minor problem cropped up during the Thanksgiving holiday. Melanie and Scott had drifted apart and she was a bit sad over it. Also her father and her older brother had to be out of town on business over the holiday.

Jonathon invited her and her mother to have Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Danielle and Melanie ended up sitting on either side of Jonathon at the table and Victoria teased him about having one too many girlfriends. Danielle responded that that was OK she needed someone to chase off the other girls when she wasn't around.

After dinner they all headed across the street to the park. Melanie managed to make the acquaintance of a few likely new boyfriends while they were in the park. Melanie judged each new potential young man's suitability by how he reacted to Jonathon and what Jonathon thought of him. Danielle was reminded of that night of her senior prom when Travis had called Jonathon an incurable matchmaker.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle's younger brother had come down with a bad case of the flu so her parents were not able to make it to Winterfest this time but they did light their candles that evening as they sat around and watched a couple of movies with their ill son. Danielle did go with Jonathon and they again spent the night 'Below'.

Christmas went pretty much as it had last year except that Danielle spent Christmas Eve with Jonathon's family, decorating the Christmas tree. Victoria announced that she had passed her GED and would be starting college in January. Shania and Danny came over for a while also. She was well along in her pregnancy and definitely showing it.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle looked Jonathon over. The new year was well under way and today was Jonathon's first day at work. He had been space struck ever since his first visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Today he started working part time for an engineering firm that was involved in building the new lunar space port and the best part was that he would be on the space port project. Meanwhile he would be continuing his college, taking a lighter course load this semester.

~ ( BatB ) ~

It was spring break and Jonathon and Danielle were spending the day house hunting together. They had found two that they liked. One was close to where Danny and Shania lived and closer to where Danielle worked. The other was in Brooklyn and closer to the company where Jonathon worked. They had gone to look at a third possibility over in Jersey, very close to Danielle's company, when she got a call.

It was Danny. Shania had gone into labor. Jonathon and Danielle hurried over to the hospital where they met up with Shania's mother and Danny's parents. Shania and Danny were in the delivery room.

About an hour after they arrived Danny came out carrying his brand new baby girl. On his face was a look of dazed amazement. Everyone gathered around to get a look at the new child. Danny's mother was the first one to ask him what her name was. He looked startled as he came out of his daze. Then he told them that her name was Regina.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was nervous. She wanted to get married in the same chapel that her brother had been married in and today she and Jonathon were meeting the pastor. She had heard that there was a growing debate in the religious community about the humanity of the Wells-Chandlers and she was unsure exactly where her family pastor stood on the matter. So far he had not been heard to express an opinion one way or the other.

"Come in." He invited them into his office. He motioned them to a couple of chairs. "What can I do for you?" He was eyeing Jonathon curiously as they all sat down.

Danielle swallowed a lump in her throat as she explained that they wanted to have their wedding in the chapel and they wanted him to officiate. After she finished she waited half fearfully for his response.

The pastor sat there his fingers steepled as he gazed at them both for a few seconds then he spoke. "Let me get this straight." He glanced back and forth between them. "You are asking me to perform the wedding ceremony, joining you and this . . . creature in holy marriage?" His eyes bore into hers.

_**Continued in Part 17**_

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


	17. New Directions

**Dating An Urban Legend  
****(_The Tale of Jonathon and Danielle_)****  
**_By Thomas Mc_

* * *

**Chapter 17 : New Directions**

Danielle lowered her eyes. She had been afraid that her pastor might object to her marriage but she had not expected such a blunt response. The tone of his voice when he had said 'creature' had carried distain. She felt Jonathon take her hand and his love flowing into her, bolstering her. She glanced down at his furred and clawed hand as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Finally she looked up defiantly at the pastor. "That is exactly what I want." She squared her shoulders. "I want to marry Jonathon in a proper church ceremony. He has as much right to that as any other **person**."

The pastor gazed at her for a while, his face unreadable then he spoke. "And you have no doubts about this proposed union, despite the obvious differences?"

"None what so ever." She shot back.

"I'm very glad to hear that." He smiled at her. "Despite what some have said, I believe that Jonathon and those like him are as much children of God as you and I." He leaned forward. "I wanted to see if you really believed that too."

"I do believe that. I love Jonathon with all my heart and I know he loves me just as much." She was feeling more sure of herself now. "We are already joined heart and soul . . ." She glanced over at Jonathon and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We both believe this is meant to be." She squeezed his hand in return.

"Are you referring to that empathic bond I've heard rumors about?" Her pastor asked, leaning forward.

"Yes I am." She replied, a soft smile spreading across her face.

"What is that like?" He asked, his curiosity peaked.

For the next half hour, with occasional input from Jonathon, Danielle described what it was like to share the emotional bond that they had. Her pastor sat back with his fingers steepled together listening and asking the occasional question for clarification of certain points. He was fascinated by the idea of being linked like that, even when they were far apart. Finally she ran out of description and looked back at him expectantly.

He gazed at them both for a moment then shifted forward in his chair. "Well, it seems to me that God has already joined you two together more surely than anything I could do . . . regardless of what some of my colleagues might think." The pastor stood up. "Far be it from me to buck his will. I will be happy to perform your wedding ceremony for you." He reached out to shake Jonathon's hand. "And I look forward to seeing more of you young man. You fascinate me." Danielle was beaming as they left the office.

After they left him the pastor sat back down and stared out his office door. He had been expecting this to come up ever since he had seen those two at her brother's wedding. Their feelings for each other had been obvious to him back then. There had been a lot of discussions about the Wells-Chandlers among the various religious leaders. A few had insisted that they were not really human. A slightly larger percentage had said that they were as human as any other person. The largest percentage by far, however, were unsure and were taking a wait and see attitude. He knew that according to the research paper released by Patricia Chandler-Wells, they were genetically and biologically human. It had taken a lot of hard thought and soul searching before he had come to his own conclusions about this situation. This particular wedding would have repercussions throughout the religious community. The Alex-n-Alex wedding had been essentially a civil service and had therefore not caused the kind of waves in the religious community as this one would. It would certainly force the issue into the forefront.

This meeting, short as it had been, had satisfied him on two counts. The girl had shown that she had the strength of her convictions, and she might just need that if the debate he was expecting turned ugly. The second result was that he had gotten a chance to look into Jonathon's eyes. Despite their inhuman golden hue, if there was not a human soul in there then he was in the wrong field. He had heard about their empathic ability and it had taken a lot of effort to keep his emotions under very tight control. He had spent days creating images in his mind to help him. He had expected Jonathon to become angry but instead the boy had displayed true compassion as he had reached out to Danielle to provide comfort during the interview. Danielle's reaction to that comfort had been obvious.

Based on what he had just witnessed and everything he had read and heard about the Wells-Chandlers, they certainly seemed to be on the side of the angels. He had chosen his side in the coming debate and he was looking forward to the wedding of Jonathon and Danielle. He had known her most of her life, she was a good kid and he was rooting for them both. He smiled as he wondered just how long it had taken Danielle to screw up enough courage to broach the subject with him today.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Jonathon was excited when he picked up Danielle. They had settled on the place in Brooklyn and today they would sign the lease. "What are you so happy about?" She asked him. She had been feeling his happiness for a couple of hours now and was curious about its cause.

"Today at work we began designing a new type of construction bot and they put me on the design team." He was practically beaming with pride.

"That's wonderful, congratulations." She was so happy for him. He enjoyed working at this company so much.

They headed off to get their new apartment. Tomorrow Jonathon would begin moving in. Danielle would begin moving her stuff over next week. Things were coming together quickly now. It was less than a month until the wedding and she was starting to get impatient for that day to arrive.

At the leasing office she began to feel like a giddy school girl as they signed the lease and were given their keys. Then they went up to their newly acquired fifth floor apartment. As they stood in the empty apartment they held each other and gazed around at the space that was now their very own home. It was a bit larger and nicer than your average starter home but both of them had jobs that were paying well and they could afford it. Though, like the rest of his family, Jonathon had access to the rather large Chandler-Wells family trust fund, he was determined to make his own way. She liked that about him.

~ ( BatB ) ~

All of Danielle's girl friends were gathered around her at Shania's place for the bachelorette Party. Shania told her that they had considered hiring a male stripper but had decided that after Jonathon, she would probably find anyone else to be pretty boring.

It turned out that the babies got almost as much attention as Danielle. Alexandra's twins and Shania's baby girl were at present the center of attention. Danielle had found the twins too adorable for words. The babies were left in the nursery under the care of Shania's mother and they all went back into the small apartment's living room.

Alexandra had taken a week off to bring the twins up to New York to show them off and attend the wedding. Alexandra's grandfather had been ecstatic and had spent most of the last few days on the floor playing with his two new great grandbabies.

The subject of conversation shifted from the babies to the wedding, then to Jonathon and Alexander, then to boys in general. Melanie was very happy about her new boyfriend and things seemed to be going well for them. Then the subject shifted to married life. Shania remarked that married life for her and Danny had settled into a very comfortable routine and she was very happy. She concluded that she would highly recommend it to her friends.

~ ( BatB ) ~

Jonathon was pouring over some charts and figures when he became aware of someone approaching his desk. He looked up to see his supervisor coming up. He was a little annoyed by this interruption. He had several details he needed to finalize so that he could take the next two weeks off. Tomorrow was the rehearsal and the wedding was two days later.

"You've been summoned to the VP's office." His supervisor told him.

Jonathon could tell by the prevalence of _curiosity_ coming from his supervisor that he didn't know what it was about. He locked his computer and headed off to the office of the VP of his division. The VP's secretary smiled at him and passed him straight through. She also was consumed with _curiosity_. With just a hint of trepidation, he entered the office. The emotions he felt from this man were complex but generally upbeat, still no clue what this was about. This was the first time he had actually met the man face to face.

The VP looked up as Jonathon approached. "I know you start your leave tomorrow for your wedding and have a lot to do before then so I will keep this short." He looked down at a folder on his desk. "I notice that you have applied for educational assistance for two classes this summer." He looked at Jonathon expectantly.

"Yes, sir." Jonathon responded wondering what this was about.

"The company won't be able to cover those classes and we would prefer that you didn't take any college classes this summer." The VP was looking at him with a totally deadpan look on his face but Jonathon could sense a simmering _humor_ in his emotions.

"May I ask why?" Jonathon inquired. From the man's emotional response that's exactly what he wanted.

"The company doesn't want you taking summer courses because we want to send you to Houston this summer for astronaut training." He paused a moment to give what he had said time to sink in. "In three years they will begin using the equipment we are designing here for construction of the Moonbase Spaceport. That training will give you a unique perspective of the types of requirements our designs must meet." Jonathon's heart was racing. They wanted him to train with the astronauts. He almost missed the VP's next statement. "We also are hoping to be able to send you to the Moon on occasion as an advisor and consultant to the men that will be using our equipment."

Jonathon had a moment when he thought his knees would give out. The VP was obviously enjoying his reaction. "Ah . . . Ah . . . Thank-you, sir. I, ah , I wont let you down."

The VP grinned back. "I know you won't. Now get out of here and finish up your work so you can go on that honeymoon. And don't forget to cancel those classes."

The rest of the day sailed by. And when he got home Danielle was waiting for him.

She met him at the door and grabbed the front of his shirt as he entered. "OK bud what happened, spill it. I've been going crazy since I felt that burst of joy three hours ago. I'm half convinced they decided to send you into space." She stared into his eyes for about a half second then her eyes got very big. "No! They are sending you up?!"

"They're sending me to Houston this summer for astronaut training. They want me to be able to go up and show them how to use our equipment." He responded.

Danielle threw her arms around him. She knew how much this would mean to him and she was thrilled for him. She was going to miss him while he was gone but his joy was so infectious and she was so happy for him. Besides with their bond they would never be truly separated, even when he was on the Moon. In a way it would be interesting to see what effect that much distance would have on it. She already knew from conversations with Devin and Emily that even being on the other side of the world didn't seem to have any effect on their bond.

After a quick little celebration they called his parents and her parents and passed on the news. Once the news had been spread they went out on the town to celebrate.

~ ( BatB ) ~

The rehearsal had gone off without any problems even though it had been held at the wrong place. The pastor told them that his chapel was closed today for some repair work so he had chosen this chapel in the Bronx because it was very similar in shape to the one they planned to use. At her worried query, he assured her that their chapel would be ready in plenty of time for the wedding in two days.

The next evening she and Jonathon were watching the news on the video when there was an article about a growing debate among some religious leaders about the church and the Wells-Chandlers. It had been brought to a head when news had leaked out that Jonathon and Danielle were planning to have a church wedding. There were a few fringe groups that were threatening to picket and even swearing to disrupt the wedding tomorrow.

Danielle became very upset when she heard this. "How could they do such a thing?" She turned to Jonathon. "They have no right." She found herself edging close to tears at the thought of her wedding being destroyed by those hateful people.

Jonathon felt her _anger_ and _sorrow_ over the news and put his arms around her soothing her heart with his love and confidence. "There will always be small minded people that can't tolerate anything different, but fortunately they are a very small minority. Our friends won't let them ruin our wedding day." He kissed her. "I believe in us and our friends. Everything will turn out OK."

William spoke up from behind them. "Your wedding is a private affair for family and close friends by invitation only so they won't be able to get in. I talked with your pastor after the rehearsal and he assured me that there would be no problems with your wedding tomorrow."

~ ( BatB ) ~

Danielle was excited and nervous as Shania, Pamela and Melanie helped her get ready. Her mother stood back and looked her over, a hint of tears in her eyes then she sniffed once and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "You are such a beautiful bride." She sniffed again. "I am so proud of you."

There was a knock at the door and her father's voice called out. "Danielle, honey, may I come in."

"Sure Daddy, I'm almost ready. Come on in." She replied.

Her father entered and stood there for a few seconds gazing at his daughter. There was a suspicious glimmer in his eyes. He shook himself and with a grin announced. "There's something you have got to see." Then he went over and turned on the little video that sat on the corner of the vanity.

The news crew was covering a fair sized demonstration that had formed outside the church. The announcer said that there had been some minor scuffles with supporters of the Wells-Chandlers when some of the protesters had tried to enter the church. The biggest problem was the din caused by the protesters loud chanting. The announcer also reported that so far they had seen no signs of the wedding party itself and there was speculation about whether the wedding would be canceled.

Danielle was upset, then confused. The noise of the protesters was very loud but she didn't hear anything. Then she looked closer at the screen and began to laugh. The protests were at the wrong church. They were at that church in the Bronx where the rehearsal had been held. Her pastor, the sly fox, had pulled a fast one on the public and the media.

Jonathon's stood in the little alcove with his older brother Alexander, as his best man, and his other two groomsmen, Danny and Wayne. He was anxious for the ceremony to start. Wayne gave his shoulder a clout. "Hang in there, it'll all be over soon." He told him. "Just be sure you take good care of my sister." He smiled.

"I will do everything in my power to make her happy." Jonathon responded. His eyes lost focus for a second then he looked confused. Finally he shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Alexander asked.

"I don't know. Something got Danielle upset but now I think she's laughing." He shook his head.

The pastor entered the alcove to pass along some last minute advice. Jonathon asked him. "One thing I am worried about. Is there going to be any trouble because of the threatened protests? Danielle and I saw the bit in the news about it last night."

The pastor smiled and told him. "That's not something you need to worry about because that little problem has already been dealt with. There will be no protesters at this church." Jonathon could sense both _certainty_ and _bubbling humor_ in the man. Then it was time to start and the Pastor led them out into the front of the small chapel before his friends and family.

Danielle's mother gave her one last kiss for good-luck then left the room to get to her seat. Danielle's father offered her his arm and they lined up behind her bridesmaids.

Her father leaned towards her and spoke quietly. "I love you pumpkin and I am so very proud of how you have turned out." He patted her hand that held his elbow. "I also want you to know how glad I am that you found someone like Jonathon to bring into our family."

The doors opened and, with joy in her heart, Danielle stepped out into her shiny new future.

**_THE END_**

* * *

'**Beauty and the Beast'** and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.


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